The Last 100 Days
by Moiranne Rose
Summary: Summary: During CC. Aerith wakes from a dream that Zack is killed in combat. She vows to make their final 100 days together the best Lt. Zack Fair has ever had. Shortlisted for Best Tragedy for the Genesis Awards 2007-8.
1. The Dream

**Title: The Last 100 Days**

**Summary: During CC. Aerith wakes one night from a vision where Zack is killed in combat. She knows time is running out, so she vows their final 100 days will be the best Lt. Zack Fair has ever gone through. ZackAerith.**

**This was a random bunny that bounded over to me and wouldn't leave ever since I watched the end of CC after finishing the UMD. I cried. I admit it. But I was surprised that Aerith didn't but just smiled knowingly. This might not jive with FF7 but I thought of this long before I started to delve into the plot of FF7. **

**Anyways, I conceded defeat and turned to write this.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Dream**

_SOLDIERs._

_Everywhere, they're pouring from the hills all around. And the despair they bring weighs down the air. The guns are cocked at the ready, preparing to shoot once the command is given. The target is in their sights._

_All at once, she's there among the SOLDIERs. Pushed around, she can hardly see past the guns, the swords, the bulk and sweat of bodies. She struggles through them, and she sees._

_She sees him._

_Zack._

_As if she has a bird's eye view as well as this mortal view, she can see him behind a boulder, laying down someone with spiky blond hair. And then he says a few lines, but no response from the latter. Then he's getting up – her mind screams for him not to – and then he's charging at them, a savage battle cry that shocks even her._

_Zack?_

_They're onto him, bullets scream through the air, swords clang, blood sprays but she can't tell if it's his or theirs. And she can't do anything but watch. His sword deals death to everyone who comes near him but she can see that he's slowly, ever so slowly, sinking down and down._

_Till there's just three left. Slightly different from the other SOLDIER. What happened to the rest? It's as if she fast-forwarded to this part. They move towards his crumpled body slowly. Then one of them takes a gun and – she can't bear to look._

_And then there's darkness. And all she can hear are the gunshots that go on forever._

_And then there's only the sound of breathing that fades to nothingness. And her silent screams that echo on and on._

Aerith woke up with a start. She felt the cold sweat pouring from her temples and wetting her hair and her hands shivered. It had been so long since she had dreamed so vividly. The last time had been when she saw the death of Angeal, his dear mentor. She couldn't bear to tell Zack, leaving him to go and learn the outcome of ShinRa-born individuals.

But now, it was Zack. Her Zack. Her love. She felt for her ribbon, and clutched it to her. What was the meaning of the dream? It couldn't be true. It couldn't be...

_Aerith..._

She nearly dropped the ribbon. She knew the voice, the lilting powerful voice that resonated not in the room but in her mind. It was the Planet. She had no choice but to hear, being the last Cetra in existence.

_The boy must die._

_But why show me?_

_Because you are the last Cetra. It is your duty to know the future and what it holds for Gaia._

_Why Zack?_

_The future will be changed for the better. A new hero rises from the ashes of the last. Zack's turn is almost over. He must make way for the next hero._

Her voice caught in her chest as her heart thumped painfully with the new knowledge.

_How much longer?  
_

_No more than a 100 days._

The matter-of-fact voice directly contradicted the bombshell it caused.

_That's not enough!_

_Enough for what, Aerith?_

_Enough..._

Her mind and heart said the same thing at once.

_To show him I love him._

The voice showed no sympathy.

_There is no way of delaying this. It will happen, whether you try to stop it or not._

Then, she felt the voice ebbing away like a vast ocean emptying to nothingness. The last sentence was a whisper.

_Make the most of it._

Aerith shivered as the consciousness left her empty. Her hands shook as she pulled the blanket over herself, clutching the ribbon with sweaty palms. Would the days after he (she gulped) died, be spent like this, clinging to the last thing she had of him? Would 100 days see her lying on her bed, eyes already cried dry, trying to hold on to vague memories?

Her heart was heavy with the new knowledge that kept her from sleeping. She tossed, turned and stared at the ceiling. She hardly felt the softness and warmth of her bed.

All night, she only had a single thought on her mind.

_Make the most of it._

* * *

**A/N: Loved it? Hated it? Reviews are welcomed! And I might be needing a co-writer so anyone?**

**Moiranne Rose**


	2. The First Day

**Title**: **The Last 100 Days**

**Chapter 2: The First Day**

**Challenge Prompt: Something fell from the sky.**

**Summary of the Chapter: Look up there. Is it a bird, a plane? It's getting bigger and its got spiky black hair. Does that sound familiar? The sentiment hurts, but I haven't thought to cover it up just yet.  
**

* * *

Aerith woke up, after fretful rest had taken away all the smiles and flush, leaving her haggard and pale. She looked at the cracked mirror that served as her only vanity piece. It reflected the night's toll on her. Her hair, messy and wet from sweat, certainly needed to be swept back, uncovering hollow eyes.

She looked at the clock. Usual time, as always. She twisted her hair into its customary plaits, picking up the limp ribbon, worn from use, and tying it expertly round the middle plait. Her heart seemed to twist with the twisted pink fabric, as her nimble fingers fastened it on.

_Last night..._

It was futile to think it hadn't happened. It had. And it was a fact, anything the Planet said was not false, however whimsical.

She picked up the basket, headed for the door, doubled back to give her foster mother a kiss on the temple, and then left, her pink dress swishing with the morning breeze.

* * *

Aerith felt herself jostled through the regular Midgar bustle as ShinRa executives got to their workplace and the rest of Midgar tried to get away from it. She couldn't just stand still in the middle of the road, as much as she would have liked. She hadn't the time to address the issue closest to her heart.

_How am I going to tell him that he's going to die?_

* * *

She got to the church as the bells knelled 8 times. 8 am. Only 16 hours left of this first day. When did time start slipping away so fast? She needed his warmth, his laughter, his smiles, forever. As long as it was him, she'd give anything for that to happen.

The flowers drooped here and there, so she used whatever powers she had to keep their thin stalks healthy. She smiled, a little sadly. This healing used to make her feel happy and satisfied. Now, after Zack had fallen from the roof and filled her heart so fully, it was as if, without him, she would be nothing, like a balloon with hardly enough helium to keep afloat. With him, she was floating amongst the stars and the Lifestream every time.

That's way it was ironic that he hadn't "floated" into her life. He had fallen into it.

Her eyes unconsciously looked to the ceiling, where she'd prevented the carpenter from covering up, to the gaping hole that had brought Zack smashing through boards and landing in her flowers and in her life.

* * *

She worked for hours, that could have been just minutes. She felt like ages had passed, ages and eons. Every single scuffed shoe on concrete had her running towards the door and peering outside, only to wave to a little boy, or help a man find his way, or carry groceries for old dears. No Zack.

Finally, her mind screamed in happiness, the shadows of flower and Cetra grew longer and she felt the light of the street lamps get darker. She was happy, elated that the time had passed so fast. But her happiness was immediately caught by dread and misery as she realised hours had slipped by and Zack's last 100 days had gotten shorter by hours.

She was so confused. She wanted time to move faster, so she'd see him faster. But she wanted time to slow down, so the 100 days would drag longer.

What _did_ she want?

* * *

All this turmoil of feelings were tamed as the door, softly yet amplified by her want to hear it for so long, creaked and groaned and announced the entry of a certain spiky-haired SOLDIER operative. His bounds were laced with gaiety and her heart lifted and fell at the same time. He was even more handsome than before, yet now, it was as if he had an expiry date after which he would disappear forever.

His final steps and his warm hug were enough to dispel unhappiness for at least a single, bliss-filled minute. She could smell him, sweat from an earnest day's work, excitement, mud caked on leather boots, laughter, gel, respect for his mentor (she had yet to know his name), all these were spun together in a complex beautiful web that fully encapsulated who Zack was.

To think all that just fell from the sky. Even if she was an angel, she doubted she'd have as great luck as she had had that day.

_Make it last..._

Whether it was the ghostly voice of the ever-haunting Planet, or if it was just her memory kicking back in, it was enough to get her pushing Zack away and stumbling a bit. 100 days. It rushed back to her, and she was trapped again in a maze of feelings and limited time.

Zack was surprised by her sudden actions, and sensed her innate fear of the unknown. He gently took her hand and settled her down on the floor, pulling her to rest her head on his strong shoulder. He felt her soften immediately, and he felt the rush of affection that came with being within a meter of her.

"Zack?"

Her voice had grown stronger, after minutes of silence and peace had tamed the waves of emotions for the moment.

"Yeah?"

"If you-" she choked up a bit, then composed herself, "-had a choice, you wouldn't leave me, right?"

Her eyes were wide and trusting and endearingly fearful for his safety.

"Aerith, even if I didn't have the choice, I'd add it in on the bottom line and then tick it."

She smiled, inhaling deeply the concrete smell of her love. His conviction fooled her for a few minutes that the Planet, maybe, just maybe, had been lying. Then she realised the one thing that could keep them apart, and not even Zack could stand up to it.

"What if," she gulped, "what if it's ShinRa? You can't do anything if they order you right?"

She heard him sigh, and in the seconds of silence later, she had her answer.

"We'll just hope that never happens then." She grinned, with him near her, solid and _alive_, it was so much easier to deny what would soon come to pass. Then they lapsed into comfortable silence.

Aerith knew she needed to give him something, the first of a hundred little memories she'd remember forever. The last hundred memories she'd have with him. The last hundred sights, sounds, smells, smiles that she'd carry with her as a burden and a blessing. Then she looked at the flowers, the one thing that would last longer than this time, and the idea formed just like that.

* * *

An hour later had her and Zack bent over, backs twinging with pain, as their hands worked slowly to weave blades of grass together. Having taught herself to do it, back when she had been young and imprisoned by ShinRa, where the only greenery had been grass, she laced them together almost as fast as her fingers could possibly move.

Zack's hands, on the contrary, were clumsy and slow, but eager to learn as he was, with her small hands guiding his calloused palms, the braid grew longer, till it snaked into a messy pile in her lap.

He tried starting on one of his own even.

"Zack."

"M'doing it right. Right?"

"Zack, no. Remember, three blades, not two." She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes as he pouted.

"But it's so much easier to do two..."

"If you want it to look nice..."

He sighed dramatically and returned to their combined braid.

The snapping of grass, which happened when the grass was too dry and the hands were too inexperienced, released the smell she could only describe as 'green' into the air. She carefully stored it in her memory.

Then the church bells sounded 8 times, in a strange deja-vu from the morning. Zack's head flipped up and she could almost see his mind whirring and counting the knells. She didn't want to see him leave, that memory would make this happy one sad. Her eyes closed.

The woven grass was laid down, the rustles and the whispers of grass on wood. She felt him move and the small rush of love as he brushed lips over her forehead. The boots hit the ground, that rhythm that was his. And the final creak of the church door allowed her to sink back into the despair and restless sleep.

The sun rose. The sun set. And the first day was over.

* * *

**A/N: That makes the first day. Thanks goes out to the above beta/co-writer GoldenShinyWireofHope for her invaluable guidance and advice. And for all the things that were made so much better through them. I'd hug you if it wasn't so inconvenient or awkward.**

**Moiranne Rose (still not begging, just wishing)**


	3. The Second Day

**A.N.: Hey everyone, just a quick introduction. I'm GoldenShinyWireofHope, Moiranne Rose's co-writer. I'm going to be writing alternate chapters from here on in, so I hope I can live up to the standard MR has set so far!**

(Note from MR: Which isn't very high. She surpassed it. Jabs finger in GSWoH's direction)

* * *

**Title: The Last 100 Days**

**Chapter 3: The Second Day**

**Challenge Prompt: She always said that.**

**Summary of the Chapter: It's amazing how the smallest things can change what we do and say.**

**Thank you to everyone at Genesis Awards for their AWESOME feedback, and of course to M.R. for beta-ing this chapter and for coming up with such a great concept in the first place.**

* * *

Aerith blinked against the electric light that Elmyra had switched on in her bedroom. For one, wonderful moment, she had forgotten everything. She was waking up to a normal day; tending the flowers, tripping light heartedly around the Church, waiting for the man she loved…

But as her vision, still hazy from sleep, began to clear, so too did her memory. Her breath caught in her chest.

_99 days. _

She murmured something to Elmyra about being down in a minute and barely waited till she had left the room before reaching out for the ribbon that still lay on her bed stand.

One day had passed already, and she had barely felt it slip away. Would the others fly by just as quickly? She squeezed the ribbon all the more tightly to her chest, as if it could somehow stop the flow of time. Maybe, just maybe, it could keep her anchored to this moment. Maybe it could keep her anchored to Zack.

* * *

Panting, Zack reached out a sweaty palm to hit the button on the water fountain for a much needed drink. He'd struggled to keep his mind on training that morning. Last night with Aerith had been… just perfect. He found himself grinning even at the thought of it. But one thing his girlfriend had said had lodged uncomfortably in his memory, and try as he might he just couldn't force it to budge.

_If you had a choice you wouldn't leave me, right?_

She'd hit the nail on the head when she'd reminded him of ShinRa. If they ordered him away he wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. He'd heard that First Classes had the right to refuse direct orders, but he'd made a commitment to the Company, and with one of their best Firsts dead, another turned against ShinRa, not to mention the disappearance of their Director, they needed him now more than ever.

"Hey, you gonna hog that fountain for ever?" broke through Zack's thoughts, right before the still pouring water splashed up out of the top of his bottle, and all over his sweater.

"Nyuhh." Zack screwed up his face as he brushed the excess water from his chest.

Amused, Kunsel shook his head as he moved in to fill his own bottle.

"You really don't change."

Zack grinned, as he finished gulping at his water. "It's been way too long, man"

"Yeah, but I'm heading out again" Kunsel jerked his head in the direction of the suitcase that lay beside the water fountain. "Wutai this time. They think they've got a lead on where the Crescent Unit is sending its information."

Zack laughed "Well, it's about damn time! You gonna be gone long?"

Kunsel shrugged, "Could be. We're booked in at an inn for a week and they're gonna see how it goes from there."

Kunsel leant back against the fountain, both elbows resting on its basin.

"What're you doing now? I've got a bit of time to kill before we head out."

"Got the afternoon off actually." Zack replied, pleased at the coincidence. "You want to get some lunch with me?"

Kunsel smiled. "Sounds good."

Kunsel took hold of his suitcase, and the pair made their way down the corridor, their boots heavy against the gleaming metal surface. Even as they walked, that lingering concern about the last night's events continued to prod at the back of Zack's mind.

"Hey Kunsel…" he began hesitantly, a little unsure of how to approach the subject. "How's Alysha dealing with you heading off again?"

Kunsel looked up at his friend, a little surprised by the question, "Um… She's okay… I think. I mean, she knows what the deal is, dating a SOLDIER."

"Yeah…" Zack answered distractedly as he reached for a sandwich from the canteen counter.

Kunsel fished in his pocket for some change to pay for his meal, and made his way to one of the tightly packed metal tables. Noting Zack's thoughtfulness with more than a little curiosity, he lowered his voice and addressed his friend again.

"I did do one thing for her though, last night." He blushed a little, and leant in closer so as not to be overheard. "I have this… this medal, from combat training, when I was a kid. I've always been kinda proud of it, you know. It was after I won that competition that I was put forward as a SOLDIER candidate."

Zack nodded, waiting for the rest of the story with uncharacteristic patience.

"Well, I took it to her, last night. I figured it'd help a little, having something to remember me by..." His eyes fell to the table top. "Not very manly I know."

"No… no, it's nice…" Zack answered, thoughtfully, fiddling with his sandwich wrapper.

Kunsel couldn't help but laugh "Zack. I've never known you hold off from eating food as long as this. Come on, what's up?

Kunsel studied his friend, genuinely surprised at the change in him. It wasn't long since his attentions had flitted from girl to girl without a second thought.

"You're wondering what Aerith would say if you did the same for her, aren't you?"

Zack blinked. Even now, Kunsel had an uncanny way of knowing what he was thinking.

"Yeah I am… but I already know what she'd say."

Kunsel raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"She'd say it was silly." Zack answered, grinning widely, fondly.

"Silly?"

"Yep." Zack declared "That's what she always says."

Kunsel sat up. Zack lacked no confidence when it came to sweet talking a girl, but he also knew how to get away when she was less than receptive. This was the first time he'd seen the slightest hint of perseverance.

"She says it's silly, and that doesn't drive you crazy?"

"Nah" Zack shrugged "I always know she likes what I do, she's just, I dunno, shy I guess. Besides its nice… it's Aerith."

Kunsel looked studied his friend, intrigued. The Zack he knew of old would have been annoyed by a girl being so flippant. Now suddenly, it was nice just because Aerith had said it? This was a side of his friend he hadn't seen before. Maybe you've changed more than I thought…"

* * *

Aerith tried to hold back the wave of excitement that threatened to burst out of her as noises sounded through the heavy Church door. She couldn't keep getting her hopes up like this whenever anyone walked past. She'd drive herself crazy. Maybe, she should just call Zack and find out when he was planning to come over. At least if she knew when he was coming she could kind of… pace herself.

But before she could even reach for her phone, her heart was somersaulting at the creak of the Church door. Zack had barely made it inside before she was stood with him in the entrance way, arms flung around his chest.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Zack in surprise. "Hey there."

He untangled himself from her arms and gave her a quick kiss.

"Good day?" he grinned.

She faltered. _Good day? _How could she answer that? It had been a normal day in almost every respect, she'd been for a walk around the slums, chatted to some of the children she knew, tended to the flowers, but nothing she had done had helped her to unwind the tight knot that pulled away at her insides.

"I missed you" she mumbled, eyes to the ground.

_It was partially true at least…_

"Yeah… me too." He answered softly. "But hey, I brought you a present!"

He lifted one hand to show her the bag he'd been holding at his side.

"It's not much. It's just… I've been thinking about what you said last night, about me having to go away if ShinRa sent me." He paused, waiting for the flash in her eyes that would tell him she remembered.

"Well, I've got this friend…" he continued, once he was sure she understood.

"He has this thing, this medal, that means a lot to him, and he gave it to his girlfriend to, you know… to remember him by…" Zack was pacing the room, twiddling the handles of his bag awkwardly between his fingertips. When it came to flirting he was an old hand, but displays of more genuine affection were still a little new to him.

"I… uh, I don't have a medal…" he said, coming to a sudden stop in the centre of the Church aisle, "So I brought you this."

He opened the bag at last and took out a piece of wood, carved into the shape of a blade. Another beam crossed the first at the top, glued firmly into place to form a hilt. He pressed this end into the hands of his slightly perplexed girlfriend.

Seeing an explanation was needed, Zack took Aerith by the arm and led her to the end of one of the pews. He sat on the one in front, and pulled up his knees on to the seat as he turned to talk to her.

"My Dad's a forester," he began "and he does a bit of carpentry. He made this for me."

He broke into a grin. "Probably just hoped it'd stop me nagging at him for a real one."

Aerith smiled, she could almost see a five year old Zack tugging at his father sleeve and moaning about needing a weapon

Looking down, Zack thumbed the back of the wooden pew nervously as he addressed Aerith again.

"I had a lot of adventures with that as a kid, so I figured it was the best thing I could give you." He looked seriously at Aerith and then spoke softly "That way I'll always be with you… even if I have to go away."

Aerith recoiled as if she had been struck. Zack had no idea of the significance that his words carried.

_Go away..._

If only he knew how much of a reality those words would become... The knowledge she'd been given by the Planet was too much to bear. Hoarsely, she tried to choke out a response.

"It's…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's silly right..?"

Aerith started. Silly? That had been the last thing on her mind! But gradually she realised he was right…Only two days ago she most likely would have said something like that. How she had changed. The weight of what she knew now pressed heavily on their relationship. There wasn't the time to brush off his advances, not any more. When they came she had to embrace them with open arms, squeezing every drop of experience out while she still could.

She shook her head sadly. "It's not silly Zack."

Zack leaned back a little, puzzled by Aerith's response. Resting both hands on the back of the pew, he studied his girlfriend.

"It's not silly?" he repeated, not really believing his ears.

Aerith shook her head.

"Nope!" she gave him a resolute smile. "So, are you going to tell me about these adventures then?"

Zack flinched in surprise. "Really? You want _me _ to tell you?"

Aerith smiled softened. Zack was still every bit the boy she could imagine tearing around his hometown wielding his wooden sword.

"Really." she answered firmly.

"Okay then!" His eyes flashed with excitement as he leaned eagerly over the back of his seat. "So there was this one time…"

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

They must have sat for hours, alone in the Church, while an animated Zack told story after story. And with every tale Zack's acrobatics became more impressive and his feats more daring. Little by little, Aerith began to relax into the evening. She couldn't help but smile as Zack's eyes got wider and his gestures wilder, as he enthused over every memory. She sighed happily.

_This is how every night should be._

She wondered whether there was anywhere she'd rather be than here and now. Away from the hustle and bustle and noise of Midgar. Alone in a place she loved, with a man she loved. It was bliss. And if she concentrated hard enough she could almost forget the way that time was trickling like water through her open fingers.

Almost, but not quite.

* * *

**A/N: MR here. I personally love this chapter. And I'd like to say a big THANK YOU (see it's BIG) to GSWoH for this. And I'm happy how this is turning out. It's really sweet to see reviews!**

**MR/GSWoH sign out, take their guns and stake out the next chapter. **

**Here we go.**


	4. The Third Day

**The Last 100 Days**

**Chapter 4: Third Day**

**Phrase Prompt:**** We reached for the sky**

**Author's Note: Hey darlings! It's MR here. Thanks for the reviews! They make me and GSWoH so happy and proud of our humble little story. This chapter came a long way, since the examinations for me just hit the highway and we're barreling down it non-stop. While I was studying Geography, I really, really wanted to write. So I decided, heck the studying, I'll write!**

**And now, we present you the next chapter!**

**Hope you enjoy my freaky darlings!**

**MR**

**Beta: GoldenShinyWireofHope**

* * *

Her eyes flicked open, suddenly and abruptly. She sensed a stiffness in her joints and opened her unfocused eyes to feel the hardness of the church floor. The firm wood, the slight smell, the roughness of unpolished boards: the familiarity of the situation made her smile sleepily.

How many times had she fallen asleep on the floor of the church, woken only by the Sun beating in through the hole in the roof? She pushed herself up, stretching her arms over her head in an effort to wake up her sleep-laden limbs. Then she turned, casting a green gaze over her surroundings.

Zack.

She studied his peaceful form, lying on his back, his chest rising and falling calmly. His hands folded easily behind his head, he relaxed in the languor of sleep. He lightly snored. Aerith stifled a laugh. There was a slight line of drool coming from the corner of his mouth, and a pink tongue languidly swept it up. She sidled up to him, suddenly aware of the deja-vu feeling that was rushing through her.

"Helloooo?"

He shuddered slightly and opened his eyes blearily. He flashed a grin that made her heart beat faster than ever and he seemed to cotton on.

"Heaven?"

She laughed, and played along.

"Close enough. Church in the Slums."

"An angel?"

There was something in that cocky grin, in those upturned lips, that struck something deep inside her. She faltered on the next line. Her stomach somersaulted.

_97 days..._

She struggled to smile back, but Zack's violet eyes, hauntingly sharp, caught her discomfort. He sat up and touched her cheek.

"Hey, Aerith, what's wrong?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing really, just that, I'm sad that...well...you're going now right?"

His shoulders sagged, as his hand fell awkwardly to the side. His job seemed the only thing that stood between them. She was not about to ask him to quit, she wouldn't deprive ShinRa one of their best men. But, sometimes, she wished that they could have a day to themselves, without him leaving for his work, and she left to tend to the flowers and help the Slum dwellers.

"Yeah...I gue-"

He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes brightened suddenly, with all the hope, mako and beauty that only he could pull off.

"One second, hun." He said, his hands going to his pocket.

He whipped out his PHS and flipped it open. He frantically speed-dialed some number and brought the phone to his ear. Then he got up, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Heya Seph!"

Being level with his SOLDIER boots, she could see that he was bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement.

"Yeah, so, you know, you told me you owed me one right? So today I decided, why not now of all days? -- Yeah yeah, I'll do those tomorrow -- For sure! -- So I can? --Okay. -- Okay? Aww thanks man!"

He flipped his PHS closed. Her eyes brimmed with hope, she wasn't sure if it showed. Could he have...

"Seph gave me the day off!"

She broke out into smile, that was filled with grateful tears which spilled over and spoiled it all.

"Hey, Aerith, hey hey, what's wrong?"

She stopped, surprised at the tears, and hastily wiped them off.

"Nothing. Just," she inhaled and let out a happy sigh, "overwhelmed. I mean-"

"I've never gotten a day off before?" He seemed to know exactly what she was thinking and what she would say. He laughed a hearty laugh that resonated around the nearly-empty church. In a moment's impulse, he embraced her in an encompassing hug.

She tried to continue smiling, but every time happiness welled up, that terrible, tearing pain of what would come, the minutes, hours, days that ticked away, it would wash over her and tell her that, there was no such happiness, without a twinge of sorrow.

He continued to hug her, even as they felt the bit of sunshine that seeped through the Plate, even as the Slums started to move into the day's activities. Both wished (how they wished) that time would just stop. Right now.

* * *

The day off was unexpected. So unexpected that neither knew, at first, what to do. Whether they wanted to sit in each other's company and talk, or if they wanted to take a walk round the Slum, or whether they wanted to check out the stores in the Slum Market. All that seemed plausible, enjoyable enough.

But Aerith felt the great burden of doing something that he'd remember, that _she'd_ remember. Something memorable, something as big as touching the sky...

_Touching the sky..._

Would she have the courage? No! The sky, with its fearsome winds, blasts of thunder and lightning, the burning of the sun, the entirety of the expanse that would encase her, _swallow_ her: she shuddered even thinking of it.

_But for Zack?_

Would she do it for Zack? She'd always said that she was prepared to die next to him, for him, and it was true that she was. Then what stopped her from going above the Plate, the thing he'd wanted her to do for ages? Maybe to her, dying was less of a fear than the sky was. But he'd be there, Zack would stand next to her. Standing behind her, arms round her waist, resting his chin on her hair, strong and dependable. He'd be her invincible protector.

_Images were leaping unbidden from her memory._

_The overpowering numbers of SOLDIER._

_Bullets. Swords. Blood. Death._

_He's __**not **__invincible._

_But..._

He was looking at her strangely. Could he see her turmoil about this? His eyes seemed to hit her at her core, making her willing to do _anything_. And, strangely enough, she was willing. Because,

_He's Zack._

* * *

When she said it, Zack thought he would fall over in shock. His eyes widened, his mouth dropped open and he started making unintelligible noises. His arms gestured to her, to himself, to the ceiling, until he realized that she was serious. Really serious. Then he smiled, not a grin, a real, heart-warming smile.

He couldn't wait to show her everything, _everything_. There was the hill, in the outskirts of Midgar, easily accessible by the "secret" way up the Plate near the east entrance. His private place he'd go on his own, whenever he was free, just to sit and think. Without anyone but Kunsel (though even Kunsel now was no longer free) to talk with, he needed to have _someone_ to hear him. So he settled on the birds and the wildlife on that solitary hill. The calming solitude had been comforting.

But he'd often felt the tug of loneliness. Now, finally, he could share it with someone. And with the person he loved most of all, Aerith. He was bouncing slightly with the joy, and pulling her along the streets, rough and uneven cobblestones were no matter. She was laughing, trying to keep up, tripping, getting helped up, but laughing, laughing all the same.

Then they came to the side gate, slightly off from the large oaken doors of the official entrance to the Slums. He eased the creaking hinges slowly, trying to avoid too much noise, and peeped in, with the air of a child looking into an old, forbidden room. Then he smiled at her and beckoned.

"Come on."

* * *

She followed Zack's footsteps up the winding staircase. The tight spiral stairs made her feel dizzy, she often stopped to ease the ache in her head before continuing. But she never raised her voice to tell Zack. If she spoiled the whole outing just because she was feeling tired, it would be such a waste.

But his concern and care for her made him stop and turn back, to see her leaning against the wall, catching her breath. Then she saw a devilish streak in his eyes. He wouldn't...

He wasted no time climbing back down to her, and despite protests, he picked her up, bridal-style and ran up the stairs, ignoring her light smacks and urges for him to put her down.

But her laughter told him she really didn't mind at all.

He unceremoniously dumped her onto the soft grassy hilltop. He flopped down next to her, leaning back and taking several breaths of delicious fresh air. After the dank air of the stairwell, they were thankful for the clean, almost sweet oxygen that filled their lungs.

Her sides ached from laughing so much. She was still shaking with fits of giggles, until she realised, that awesome azure, that boundless blue, was _the sky_. She stopped laughing immediately.

_So. _

_So, this is what the sky is._

"Aerith?"

She blinked furiously, fearfully. This was it. This was the thing she'd been afraid of all her life. Sensing her insecurities, Zack squirmed himself across the grass patch between them and, lifting her head slightly, made his arm a comfortable headrest for her. He ran his free hand through her hair, and turned her head to face him.

She met his vibrant eyes, the violet-blue that was darker, richer than the sky, infused with an inhuman energy that pulsed within it. But it was more than the mako that immediately soothed her. It was the sweet concern, laced with...love? Was it love? She dearly hoped it was. She took a shaky breath and managed a half-decent smile and nod.

He took her hand, her small, delicate, clenched fingers in his calloused ones. And he guided it up, opening the fisted hand carefully.

"Let all of the fear go."

She nodded, desperately wanting herself to _get over it_, so she could make Zack happy.

"Reach up."

He guided her hand to embrace the sky's ethereal beauty.

"Reach for what?"

"Hope, love, life, dreams, anything."

Her heart jolted.

_Life? Your doomed life, Zack? Is it possible to take back from the Planet what it has already claimed?_

"But...some things, aren't they impossible to attain? Like the sky? You can't possibly..._own _it." Her statement echoed her thoughts.

_Impossible to take you back, as much as I wish I could..._

"But Aerith,"

"Yeah Zack?"

"Isn't it better that there's something that's bigger out there?" He frowned, searching for the right words. "It seems like we spend all our time telling ourselves the things that we'll never be able to do."

"The sky isn't like that. It just stretches on and on with nothing to hold it back. It shows us, there's still hope. Still something to work for. Sometimes I think if we were more like the sky, if we aimed for the sky, then we'd be free, and we could embrace our dreams… there'd be nothing to hold us back. All those goals that people think we won't reach, they're all possible, somehow..."

She could hear the conviction in his voice, through the halting speech. It was straight from his heart, no matter of the somewhat messy presentation. Oh, she dearly wanted to believe him.

_Oh Zack, if only you knew..._

_It's hopeless, Zack._

Yet with his warmth and happiness and _life_ next to her, she could still lean back, close her eyes, and make herself believe that it wasn't hopeless at all.

* * *

**A/N: I thought this one was really nice. But that's just me and my ego! Well, this came a long way, and I hope, really really hope, that it was worth the wait!**

**MR (still not begging, just wishing)**


	5. The Fourth Day

**A.N. Hi everyone. It's GoldenShinyWireofHope here again. Thank you all for reading up to now, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**MR: Yep, enjoy GSWoH's amazing chapter. So long! I'll have to try my best for the next one!  
**

**Title: The Last 100 Days**

**Chapter 5: the Fourth Day**

**Challenge Prompt: She Stared Defiantly**

**Summary of the chapter: Oh how love can make us strong.**

**Beta: Moiranne Rose/MR (gladly and gratefully done - MR)**

**__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
**

At the heart of Midgar the first stirrings of life were emerging out from under the heavy sleep of night. Workaholic executives and dedicated early risers traipsed wearily from behind their doors. Train engines growled into action for the first journeys of the day, and up in one of the metal apartments of the SOLDIER First Class building, Zack Fair was shuffling restlessly under the glow of the early morning sun.

The young SOLDIER sat up in bed, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the uncomfortable light. He frowned, trying to remember what he was supposed to be doing today. For a moment he was at a loss, he couldn't even remember where he'd left off the day before…

Of course! He hadn't _been _here yesterday…

A wide smile spread slowly across Zack's face, and he flopped back down on to the bed, enjoying the memory.

She'd actually done it!

It was almost hard to believe it wasn't a dream. But there was no doubt about it. They'd stood there, only the day before, on the hill, on _his _hill, under the sky. And it had been Aerith who had suggested it!

He could see her now, as if they were still stood together in the Church, deciding what to do for the day. He remembered so clearly how fear and indecision had flashed alternately through her eyes as she'd decided whether she was brave enough to do it, but when she'd finally related the plan to Zack he'd seen something else entirely.

Defiance.

Aerith wasn't prepared to allow her fear to stand in the way of what she wanted to do. She'd been _so_ afraid. But even in spite of that she'd refused to back down. Thinking of it, Zack couldn't help but see her in a new light. He couldn't help but be proud.

He glanced over at the alarm clock that stood on his bed stand. 6.10. Almost an hour before he had to be behind his desk… Maybe there was still time…

Without another thought, Zack had whipped on his uniform and was heading for his door. With any luck she'd already be there…

He couldn't waste a moment!

* * *

Aerith gazed up at the rays of sunlight breaking through the hole in the Church roof. She still couldn't quite believe that yesterday she'd stood beneath the sky, with not even the wooden flats of the Church roof to shield her.

"Doesn't seem half so scary any more does it?" came a voice from over by the Church door.

Aerith whipped around.

Before she knew what she was doing she was running to him. Her arms flew around him in a blur. Zack. All of a sudden, he was here. A little extra time had been clutched back from the Planet.

She couldn't help but grip him tighter.

"Hey… Aerith!"

Zack pulled her hands away from his waist, holding them out between them both.

"Everything okay…?"

"What are you doing here?" she answered, brimming with excitement

Zack grinned. "I figured you'd be the early rising type. Looks like I was right."

He stroked her arm lightly with his rough hand.

"I just couldn't face all that paperwork without having seen you, youknow." He frowned at his watch "'Fraid I can't stay for long though…"

"Oh." Aerith stopped, suddenly deflated.

"It's okay…" She answered, at last. "Any time is good."

She cast her gaze away from Zack, staring resolutely at the back of the pews, determined that he wouldn't see the distress in her eyes.

But it seemed so unfair! Her last days with Zack were slipping away and still almost all the time that they spent together was made up of snatched and short-lived opportunities.

Would it be different, she wondered, if Zack knew? What if he knew he had 97 days of life left? How would he spend them? Would he leave his job? Would he actually stay here in the Church every day? Or maybe there were other ways he'd rather spend his remaining time. With his family perhaps, or his friends from SOLDIER? Maybe there was even someone else? Some other girl who was more daring, more exciting, someone more like the kind of girl that someone like Zack would want to be with.

She looked up with a start at the feel of Zack's hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah. That's what I thought. Any time is good…" He ducked his head a little to meet her eye line.

The air suddenly caught in his lungs as he stopped to take her in. She was so beautiful. Her green eyes were mystifying, so clear and serene, and yet he couldn't help but remember the way that they'd blazed with determined courage the day before.

"Aerith." He said, almost in a whisper. "You're amazing."

In an instant, under his steady and sincere gaze, every hidden doubt and silent worry about how Zack would want to spend his remaining time had evaporated faster than it had arisen.

"Amazing?" She repeated, with a tentative smile.

"Yeah. You were so great yesterday." His hands rested so lightly on her bare arms. "I know you were scared, but… wow. I don't think I've ever seen you so… so defiant."

In her mind's eye, she saw againher own form lying beside Zack's on the soft grass, her head propped on one of Zack's arms whilst his other ran gently through her hair.

"I wish it could have lasted longer" she murmured.

"Well" he answered with a grin as he stood up straight. "No need to worry about that!"

He squeezed her arms with his gloved hands.

"That was only the start. You've done it now Aerith! Just think! There's so many places we can go to. There's so much I can to show you!"

Aerith returned his excited look with a doubtful one. "Zack…. I…"

But her protest was silenced by the shrill ringing of Zack's PHS.

Frowning at the disturbance,he took his phone from his pocket and flipped it open.

"Zack Fair" he answered sternly. But as he listened for the response his expression softened. "Oh. Hey Seph. What? So early?" He moaned. "Okay, okay I know… I'll be over right away."

Zack let out a long groan as he shut the phone.

"I thought we'd have longer than this…" He muttered.

"Another mission?"

"Yeah…" He shuffled, glancing apologetically at Aerith.

"You know what though?" He continued, his tone suddenly brightening. "At least I won't have to catch up on all that paperwork I missed yesterday! And it'll give me time to plan out where to take you next!"

"Oh…but…" Aerith began. But Zack had already turned and was heading for the entrance way. Growing increasingly anxious**, **she followed him to the door.

Zack turned and ran a hand once again through her hair, twiddling the ends absent-mindedly between his fingertips as he said goodbye.

"I'm really sorry I can't stay longer, but I'll try to be back for tonight! And if it's not too late I'll come and see you later." He grinned.

"Zack…"

"I have to go. But we'll talk later. I promise."

He leant in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before reaching for the heavy iron door handle.

"But… I…" Aerith began in earnest, but Zack was already runningdown the stone steps and out onto the building site outside the Church.

Even after she had seen Zack round the corner on to the road that led to the Sector 5 marketplace Aerith stood for what felt like a long time at the door, just watching as the other inhabitants of Midgar trudged about their business.

Finally, slowly, she stepped back into the peaceful familiarity of the Church and drew the heavy door to a close, shutting out the outside world.

She made her way to the centre of the Church until the sunshine fell once again over her pale skin.

Looked up at the hole in the roof, she allowed all the confusion that she had felt over the gaping hole to surge through her once again. She still had such mixed feelings about it. She remembered the early days after the roof had been split apart. She had knelt alone in the Church, tending to the flowers, always aware that it was there before her, tearing through the wooden panels that were her only security against the endlessness of the sky. It was a constant reminder of her gravest fear.

And yet, when a carpenter had come around, wanting to fix the hole in the ceiling, she had pleaded with him to leave it as it was. Maybe she hadn't quite been willing to let go of the constant memory of the man who had, quite literally, fallen into her life.

Either way, it hadn't taken much to convince him to leave the hole open, no one ever came in here at any rate, and it probably served ShinRa better to save a few pounds on roof repairs.

So here it stayed, pouring light over her flowers from high above the Plate, illuminating her face in the morning sun. And up from where that light shone in, was the sky. The open, glaring, unforgiving sky.

She had faced it. She'd stood before it and she had looked it in the eye. Wasn't that enough? She'd let Zack stand in the open air that he loved, with her by his side. She'd let him experience that once, at least, before he died.

Wasn't that enough?

But Zack was out, even now, preparing for their next outing, planning the next place he was going to take them. She had known, as soon as she had seen that bounce in his step and that glint in his eyes.

And she wasn't strong enough to do it.

Another secret fear followed Aerith for the remaining day, pressing in close behind her shadow. She filled her day, as she always did, with caring for her flowers, walking and talking with the children of the slums. Perhaps her days weren't the most exciting ever, but she enjoyed them. There was something she found really pleasant about her quiet little life.

And more than ever, lately it had become a distraction from the knowledge of what was to come.

But today there was an added weight to that that had already settled upon her shoulders. Today she knew that with every hour that passed, Zack was away, somewhere, concocting scheme after scheme of how he would delight her with the sights and sounds of Gaia, with the open air… with the sky.

She wasn't strong enough to take it.

Outside the Church's window, as the night drew in and the clouds grew dense, she knelt once more against the creaking floorboards over the Church, bending over the flowers, jug in hand, to give the flowers their last drink of the day.

She tipped the jug gradually, watching as the water splashed against the ground, falling still at last to seep into the ground where the Church floor had been broken away.

She sighed sadly as the pale earth turned darker with moisture and the plants began to drink. If only she'd been someone else, someone like Zack, who rarely seemed phased by anything. If only she had his daring, his resilience, maybe she could have actually given him what he wanted most for his final days. As it, was in her cowardice she was about to disappoint him, even in spite of all she knew.

As the final drop of water fell upon the furthest flower, Aerith stood slowly, allowing her hair to fall back into place on her shoulders.

If only she had been more like him, more impulsive, more daring. If only she had the courage to step out of her sheltered little lifestyle, out of the familiarity of the Church, out of the protection of the Plate. If onlyshe could do that, she could make Zack's last days happy.

But slowly and deliberately she walked to the end of the pew, setting the jug silently on the wooden floor, the same way she always had. And, the same as always, she made her way down the Church aisle, before opening the heavy door and stepping out into the night. The same as always.

It was safer that way.

As Aerith made her way up the pebbled path to her house, she could just make out the circular concrete walls that cast deep shadows over the road.

She squinted as she drew nearer, wondering if she had imagined that flicker of movement behind the wall. She held her breath and softened her steps. Who could be out here at this time of night? A thief perhaps? But why would they be playing around behind the walls? There was nothing in there but the flowers!

But, as Aerith ducked into the side of the wall, trying to avoid being seen, it wasn't a thief that jumped up from behind the concrete…

"Gotcha!" he whispered, standing atop the wall, his face lit with a mischievous grin.

"Zack!**" **Aerith gasped, but in a moment her shock gave way to amusement.

"Don't do that again!" She glowered at him in mock annoyance. "I was terrified!"

Zack shot a furtive glance in the direction of the light that shone from one of the windows of Aerith's house.

"Shh! I don't want your mom to hear us!"

Aerith had to stifle a giggle. For all Zack's bravery in battle, he was invariably terrified at the prospect of answering to Elmyra.

Zack was shifting himself into a sitting positing on the wall, before lowering himself to the ground to meet Aerith.

"So… good day?"

Aerith lowered her head. "Well… the same as always."

Zack laughed, taking her hands in his.

"Well, I've got plans Aerith! First chance I get, I'm gonna take you out somewhere. You'll have the most exciting day ever!" He chattered animatedly, barely pausing for breath. "I could take you to Kalm, you like it there, it's little and pretty and there's all kinds of flowers and stuff, or we could go to the sea. There's this nice place just south of Junon… maybe they'd even let me take you to the Costa del Sol…"

Aerith couldn't stand anymore.

"Zack…"

Zack ducked a little to look her in the eye.

"Yeah?"

Aerith faltered. Zack eyes, always dazzling, seemed to sparkle even more in his excitement, shining out into the dusk. And his expression… he was so strong and protective, his face, lit with hope and expectation, looked so childlike tonight, almost vulnerable.

She couldn't dash his hopes. Not now.

And despite the sparks of apprehension that were growing inside her, she looked up to meet Zack's eyes with a slow and steady gaze.

"I can't wait."

As Zack looked down at his girlfriend, at the way her lips tightened with determination, the way her eyes steeled with resolution, with defiance, invisible hands began to squeeze at his chest. She was so courageous, and so beautiful.

He couldn't possibly love her any more.

**A/N from MR: Beautiful, isn't it? I really have to thank GSWoH for this chapter. So much hard work put in even when she's got SO much to do!**

**I'm sure me and GSWoH are really proud of this story! I am at least.**

**Thanks goes out to all of you who stuck around long enough for this chapter!**

**MR**


	6. The Fifth Day

**Title: The Last 100 Days**

**Chapter 6: The Fifth Day**

**Challenge Prompt: In so many words**

**Summary of the Chapter: Funny how we talk things up so much. What if the simplest way to express yourself, was to just **_**get on with it**_**?**

**Beta: GoldenShinyWireofHope**

**Author's Note: The fic is getting popular I see, so I'm putting it lots of effort into this one. Hope it was worth the wait!**

* * *

There was no light to signal the start of the day. There was no sun to sharply wake her from her slumber. There was merely the sound of something dropping. She was awake. Awake to a new day. With new surprises, new discoveries, new smiles and laughs. With old memories to laugh at, and old friends to laugh with.

_One less day for Zack._

As much as she tried to cover the truth with bits of happiness, the hanging grief and sorrow clung to her like the mustiness after rainfall, or fog that just wouldn't let up. It leadened her steps, poisoned her sleep, haunted her waking hours.

_But would I prefer not knowing?_

That was a question she didn't want to answer. The knowledge prepared her for what would happen, the impending loss of the only person she'd ever found by herself. It reminded her of how much she loved him, and how much she needed to show him that. Yet...

She was constantly in the cycle of forgetting it for a little while, then feeling it wash over her all over again. As much as she wished it away, it always came back. Sometimes, the burden of the knowing...it was worse than not ever knowing.

_But..._

Even though she knew, that meant nothing. Nothing stopped, Gaia kept turning. No one stopped for a flower girl, no matter how deeply connected she was with the Planet. No one thought anything of a girl from the Slums, they only noticed that her affiliations with a SOLDIER First Class.

_Always Zack._

He made her special. He made her important. She tipped her head back and stared at the ceiling, as if straining to see that scary-beautiful sky beyond the thatched roof. Imploring silently, hopelessly, but imploring all the same.

_Why take him away?_

* * *

The way he spoke last night didn't make her feel like he was anything _but_ alive. He was blazing with energy infused with the inhuman power of mako. It was hard to think of him as a lone, cold body, eyes violet and vacant, no longer laced with simple joy or rock hard determination.

"_I could take you to Kalm, you like it there, it's little and pretty and there's all kinds of flowers and stuff, or we could go to the sea. There's this nice place just south of Junon… maybe they'd even let me take you to the Costa del Sol…"_

She could still hear those words ringing in her ears, the exuberant joy echoing in the silence of the room. She wondered, if he haunted her now, even when he was still here, what would happen when he was..._gone_? What if her days would be just filled with whispers of his voice, silhouettes of his strong frame? Would she go mad with longing? She feared she would.

She was shaken out of her thoughts by the heavy footsteps of Elmyra, and her old, wizened face peering in.

"Breakfast is ready, child."

She mustered up a smile for the lady who had taken care of her for so long without reward. Elmyra was a strict woman, with a hand hard as a bed slat. But it was in those little gestures she made that her motherly love for Aerith really shone. Aerith pulled on her pink dress, worn at the hems and seams, yet well taken care of.

"You'll really need to change that dress soon. And why don't you wear blue anymore? You always looked better in it..."

Aerith smiled a secret smile.

"I made a promise to someone never to wear anything else. And besides, I've gotten used to it."

Elmyra looked at her for a moment.

"That SOLDIER boy? He's one heart-breaker if you ask me."

She turned around, just missing Aerith's face falling. Those words...they meant so much more than she'd ever know.

_That was just what he was going to be._

* * *

She left the house half-hearted about going to the church. She felt so upset over Elmyra's comment that she hadn't eaten much either, a fact which made her foster parent crease her brow, press her lips together and shake her head.

Going to the Church had always been the defining thing in her life. Now she felt like she didn't have the energy or the motivation to go there. Except for...

_Zack._

That man haunted her entire existence. She constantly turned around every time she heard a laugh like his, or did a double-take on anyone who brushed past her with the same hair. She only went to the Church now, because that was the place he had come to her, the place that he had fallen into her arms, because that was the place they met.

She focused on putting her feet one in front of the other. If Zack ruled her mind now...once he was gone (the thought still left a sour taste in her mouth), she was sure that the vacuum of feelings and memories would be overwhelming. The emptiness would be terrible and lonely. She would be back to the days that she was "the silent girl in the Church" and the "Flower Woman".

* * *

The flowers bowed in greeting as she entered the Church. Her mouth turned upwards into a slight smile. Such small things could still make her smile. The constant noise that ravaged her ears in the streets above the Plate scared her, repulsed her. There was such joy in silence, in a few meaningful words, in some simple meanings. In so many words, people just lost the meaning along the way.

But before Aerith could even set her basket against the floorboards the silence broke into a flurry of noise, jarring her from her thoughts. Clanking of a sword on guards, boots with thick soles on rough wood floors, the slightest rustle of hair as a hand was passed through it. Loud to her quiet.

_Zack._

Almost in the same heartbeat as she'd heard him, she surrounded him in a blur of heart, feet and hands. Her heart thumped wildly and she pressed her ear to his solid chest, hearing his own heart beat in time with hers. It reminded her that he was _alive_, and his energy made her feel strong too. She felt his body rumble slightly with laughter. She peered up to see his violet eyes, soft and smiling, looking back at her.

"You were laughing at me!" She exclaimed in mock indignation.

She immediately removed her arms from the embrace, even though she felt the lack of warmth like a knife. She turned around and crossed her arms in feigned contempt.

"I'm...I'm sorry Aerith. I didn't mean anyth-"

She flipped around. Her face cracked into a smile.

"You're so cute when you stutter, you know."

"Aww...Aerith! You were fooling me again!" He tried to look hurt, but failed miserably as her arms returned into the embrace, not being able to bear the lack of physical contact.

"And you love me for it." She turned her face up to grace him with her soft smile. He grinned back at her.

"That's right!"

Something inside her melted with the words. If only he knew how much those few words meant to her. How she'd turn them over in her mind for the next eternity, with their implications to fuel her foolish hope.

_He loves me, right?_

They enjoyed each other's silent company for a minute longer. Then she stepped back and looked at him seriously.

"Why are you here?" Her eyes narrowed, in an endearing expression that he loved.

"Can't a guy come and see the beautiful angel who saved his unworthy life?" He said, dramatically.

She rolled her eyes.

"As in, what did you do to make your boss let you come?"

He smiled at the memory of what he had to do. She'd never know that part...

_A knock on the door._

"_Come in."_

"_Hey Seph!" _

"_Zackary. Please do not use that version of my name."_

"_Whatever you say, Seph."_

"_Is there something you want to ask me?"_

_Sephiroth watched as his subordinate immediately riveted to running his hand through his hair uneasily._

"_Uhh...well...will I have an assignment tomorrow?"_

"_Yes. The one at Junon. I thought I briefed you on it before."_

"_Oh yeah, of course. Well y'see, I've got this present for...my girl, and I haven't had the chance to give it to her yet. So..."_

_Zack's voice trailed away into silence. He should have known this was lame. What would the Great Sephiroth care about a present for a girlfriend, and even if he did Zack could never have explained why it was so important._

_But Sephiroth had seen something else, beyond his colleague's spluttered request: something about the hope in his eyes, the anxious way in which he fidgeted as he spoke, the fact that he even would turn down a mission in the first place!_

"_She's really important to you, isn't she?"_

_The abrupt question surprises Zack. Then he tilts his head to a side and thinks. After a short while, he nodded slowly. _

"_I guess she is."_

_Sephiroth didn't need his answer. He already knew. He smiled a secret smile._

"_If you get the reports in by 0700 hours tomorrow morning, I'll tell the President tomorrow that you were missing his morning meeting on account of influenza."_

"_Seriously? You'd do that for m-"_

"_I do not want this to be on your mind tomorrow. I want you to be at your best for the mission." _

"_But Seph-"_

"_Do you wish to add anything?" _

_Zack immediately shook his head and backed out of the office. Outside, he scratched his head for a moment. But then he shrugged and passed it off as one of the perks of__working for Sephiroth._

"_I guess I owe you one, Seph." _

He chuckled, remembering. Then he composed himself and said, "It's...complicated. Anyway, I don't really have that much time, but I wanted to give you something."

Aerith looked at him expectantly.

"What...is it?"

He bit his lip like an awkward teenager, embarrassed and hopeful at the same time. He dug in his pocket and frowned.

"Wrong pocket."

She laughed. His face reddened as his fingers searched his other pocket.

"Ah ha! Here we go!"

He thrust out a small package, hastily wrapped in a piece of notepaper.

"Here."

"This is...?" Aerith tilted her head to the side, questioningly.

"Oh...uhh...y'see, my mum sent me flower seeds last year when Christmas came round. She thought I could grow them, for my desk or something." He ran his hand through his hair uneasily. "Too bad I can't do anything but swing a sword around. So I thought...maybe you'd like them."

She turned it over in her palm, over and over in awe. He mistook her silence for polite refusal.

"If you don't want them, I mean-"

She stopped him mid-sentence by closing her hand over the packet and looking at him past her brown bangs that hung over her sincere emerald eyes. He felt an arterial burst of love and affection for her.

"I love them."

"Glad you like them, then." His habitual smile coming to his face again. Then his face fell. She bit her lip in dread. She knew what this meant.

"Listen, I have to go now. There's a mission I need-"

She felt a rush of courage and bravado take her as she tiptoed and kissed his cheek softly, cutting off his sentence a second time.

"You'll come back later. I'll be here." She smiled at him trustingly.

He seemed slightly surprised by her forwardness. Then he broke into a hesitant, bashful grin.

"So...I'll see you around then." He turned around and walked to the door. After a moment's thought, he looked back over his shoulder and gave a small wave before opening the door and leaving the Church, hollow and silent.

* * *

It wasn't long after Zack's leaving that she felt a powerful influx of feelings.

_Why did he leave?_

Didn't he feel how much she wanted him to stay? Through her actions, through her eyes, didn't they speak more to him? He often said her eyes were expressive and deep. Couldn't he see how _much_ expression there was within them?

Maybe he really didn't want to stay with her for much longer than necessary. His missions offered the thrill and adventure that she and her quiet Church could never give. There was nothing to do in this place. It had nothing but simple flowers and a plain flower-girl.

What did Zack see in her? There was nothing. She was nothing. She wasn't anything special. She didn't dare to do many things. She wasn't like Zack, ready to help, ready to do anything at all. She was soft, quiet but bursting with dreams and wishes no one wanted to hear.

She looked at her flowers, drooping, as if they felt her sadness she remembered the thing her hand clenched so tightly around. She opened her hand and saw the messily-wrapped package again. She turned it over in her hand. Then she picked it up and shook it, listening to the merry rattle of seeds on paper. And she smiled.

Zack cared enough about her to give her this.

He gave her something before he left.

He hadn't said much, and what he had said had been stumbled through. Yet, nothing like that seemed to make any difference. His actions had spoken louder than words would have.

She clutched the tiny packet in her palm and closed her eyes, holding onto her memory of that short time.

Then she set to work planting the seeds into her patch, her heart suddenly lightened. And she pushed any thought of what was to come as far back in her mind as she could.

* * *

**A/N: Finally, I got down to finishing this. Needless to say, it's very late, and I'm really sorry. But with NaNoWriMo on now, I haven't had much time. Although, I find this chapter pretty well done. But most of the fantastic parts went through revision with GoldenShinyWireofHope, who made them even better.**

**MR  
**


	7. The Sixth Day

**A.N. (GSWoH): Hi guys. As you can imagine I have a pretty big apology to make. It's been absolutely ages I know – I've had no life at all for the past couple of months – Uni work has just been manic. So thank you so much for your patience!**

**On a separate note, I've found this chapter really difficult to write, and it's a bit of a break from what's gone before (for reasons that I hope will become obvious) so I'd really appreciate your honest feedback on this one – I have a thick skin so you can be harsh if necessary!**

**Anyway- without further ado…**

**________________________________________________________________________**

**Title: The Last 100 Days**

**Chapter 7: The Sixth Day**

**Challenge Prompt: They've Forgotten Too**

**Summary of the chapter: It seems so wrong that everyone else's world can carry on as normal when yours has been turned upside down.**

**Beta: MR (special thanks to Moiranne for her tireless help and patience with this chapter).**

**________________________________________________________________________**

Zack sat up on the edge of his bed, PHS resting between his legs as he frowned at his watch, willing the number on its display to change.

_7 O'clock. _ Finally! That should be late enough. She should be up by now.

Zack winced as a whole group of 3rd classes poked their heads around his door. He held up a hand against them.

"Just give me a minute."

He twisted the bed sheets between his fingers as he waited for the door to close behind them and then picked up the phone.

"Hello?" came Aerith's nervous voice down the phone line.

"Hey Aerith, it's me."

Her tone warmed instantly. "Zack!"

"How are you sweetheart?"

"I'm okay. Are you coming over?" she asked immediately.

Zack bit his lip. This was getting harder.

"Um, no I'm not. I had to stay over at Junon. It looks like we'll be here for a few more days…" He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

"Oh."

"But there's lots of shops and stuff here" Zack hurried on. "Why don't I get you something really nice and you can have it when I see you again?"

"…okay." Aerith answered softly. Her excitement was less than convincing.

"I'm really sorry Aerith. I'll make it up to you I promise."

"Okay." Her voicehad lightened a little. "Be careful."

Zack grinned. "You bet! I'll be looking forward to seeing that pretty face again! I'll be back soon okay?"

"Okay" she said again, only this time she sounded as if she was smiling. Zack's eyes shone triumphantly. At least he could always cheer her up.

"Hey ya never know, maybe when I'm back those seeds I gave you will have sprouted. It'll be nice see something from home. You take good care of them for me, okay?"

"I will!" she answered brightly.

"See ya later hun."

"Bye."

Zack tapped the button on his PHS, ending the call. He sat still for a minute, phone in hand. It was nice to have someone waiting for him. He slipped it into his pocket and went to the door to let in the rabble.

­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________________________________________________________

Aerith's breath caught in her chest as the call ended with a low bleep. That was it. That was all the time she was going to spend with Zack today… maybe for days. She hurried to her window and pushed it open. Her room suddenly felt unbearably close. Clutching to the window frame with shaking hands she drank in a lungful of the morning air, but the atmosphere under the plate was just too stuffy to be really satisfying.

She ran her hand through her hair, still loose and knotted from her night's sleep. They'd lost a day, perhaps more. Only a week ago a few days away on mission felt like nothing, it _was _nothing they hadn't dealt with countless times before. But to lose those days now… when they had so precious few to begin with…

_You promised me a hundred days._

But as soon as she thought it she realised she was wrong. A hundred days _left_. That's what she had been told. The Planet hadn't said anything about her. It didn't seem to have a lot of time for human relationships. Tears began to tumble down her cheeks.

_It's still not fair._

She didn't get an answer. She didn't expect one.

________________________________________________________________________

Aerith ran a brush slowly through her tangled hair, but however hard she searched for something to distract her all she could see before her were the vivid colours and movements of that awful dream.

_A clatter of gunfire burst into the air. Zack took a shaky step forward, but his legs couldn't hold fast under his weight any longer. He fell with a thud to his knees. He swayed ungracefully for a second before drawing himself up straight with a deep breath, blood seeping openly from more than a dozen wounds in his chest. A man was approaching him now. He reached into his belt and drew out a gun. After averting his eyes for a second, he raised it level to Zack's head, and pressed the trigger…_

Aerith squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't see this again. She leant over her dresser, tears splashing onto the gnarled wooden surface. Zack couldn't die. He was always so animated, so full of life. That couldn't have been him, trembling and bleeding out on the wasteland. He deserved better than that, _more _than that.

"Did you choose this?" she cried out loud. "That he was going to die! It's alright for you, a million miles away. It's easy for you to pull your strings and forget about what it means to the people down here. What about me? What about _Zack_!"

She stared at the ceiling defiantly, waiting for an answer, but the Planet obviously wasn't prepared to give one. In the end, she reached for a tissue from her dresser and dried her eyes.

It wasn't like she was much better,she hadn't thought this much about the dream since that first morning. All her days had been filled with Zack, and fun and all the things she wanted them to do together. Less than an hour ago she'd been laughing with him on the phone. She'd forgotten all about what was going to happen to him. It was all too easy when he was there.

She picked up her hairbrush, smoothing it once again through her curls. At least today she could do one thing for Zack that she couldn't do in his presence. She could grieve for him.

_______________________________________________________________________

Aerith finished getting ready quickly and made her way down the stairs. Even if she couldn't make Zack's day perfect today, she'd make sure that she kept her promise and tend to his flowers, so that they could at least make him happy later.

She put away the bowl and the cereal that Elmyra had left for her: she didn't feel like eating. Instead she filled a jug with water and took it to the door, frowning with concentration as she tried hard not to spill any.

She watered Zack's flowers last. There hadn't been any space left in her flower beds, so she'd planted them on the little path she'd left around the other plants. She had to rest a hand on the fence and lean over to get them all.

She didn't allow herself to get up until she was convinced that she'd cared for the flowers as best she could, but somehow she didn't enjoy it as much as usual. There were times in the past when she'd felt like the flowers were her only comfort. She'd poured out her heart and soul into tending to them, and it made her proud. It was something _she _had done, all by herself. She'd helped a little piece of beauty to thrive in the slums.

But their beauty wasn't comforting anymore, their colours, their _life _seemed wrong somehow. They shouldn't be thriving, not today. Didn't they know what was going to happen? Had they forgotten too?

She stood up straight, clutching the jug to her chest, and looked one last time over her plants. Apart from Elmyra they'd been the most constant thing in her life over the past few years, they were there when she felt most alone, when she wondered about her mother, when she feared the men from ShinRa who came to her door. Today they just shone out in the light from the street lamp. Beautiful. But untouchable, and empty of the comfort she'd been so hoping for.

Disappointed, she made her way back to the house. She stepped into the kitchen and placed the jug by the sink. Glancing over at the coat hooks, the absence of Elmyra's coat and bag told Aerith she hadn't yet returned from her friend's house. It was quite a relief actually. How could she possibly explain why she was so sad? This really was a secret that she had to carry alone.

She stood still in the kitchen for a moment, a little unsure of what to do. She so desperately wanted to weep or scream or something, but there was nothing she could do. Nothing had happened; there was no grave, no well wishers. The only impact that Zack's fate had made on the world was on her. She had to hold the knowledge of Zack's death inside her, and all her sorrow and grief along with it.

She reached to take her own jacket from the hook and slipped it over her slim shoulders. Perhaps she could find something outside that would distract her, and if she didn't do something soon, this was going to swallow her alive.

________________________________________________________________________

She made her way slowly through the market, but she stopped short of the Church. Somehow she didn't want to see any more flowers right away. She walked instead through the wasteland outside and perched on what looked like it once been a part of a car. No one seemed to care enough to move her along.

There were a few people out on the land, scrabbling around for something of value. She sat and watched them for a while. They were in such a hurry, palming frantically through other people's junk. She felt worlds apart from them.

Everyone was so busy, scuttling about their business, trying to scratch out a living. She bowed her head and prayed silently that someone would notice, would reach out and take hold of her, but what good would it do? No one but her knew what was going to happen; no one would believe her if she told them. There wasn't a single person who could reach out and touch her in her grief.

They reminded her of how she had been, when she'd had Zack by her side, too caught up in the present to be gripped by the future. Awful as it sounded she'd almost forgotten what was coming. But she didn't have Zack's optimism to wrap herself up in any more. With him gone: their idyllic little bubble had burst. Now the rest of the world had forgotten - she couldn't help but remember. _______________________________________________________________________

After a while the sight of the junkyard became a little too monotonous, so she began to walk. She headed out on to the street, and through the park, paying only silent recognition to the place where she'd spent that first day with Zack. She let the park gate swing shut without even stopping to say goodbye.

As time tumbled by Aerith barely noticed. She stopped still on the street only when she recognised a cobbled pathway. The memory fluttered away from her for a moment, just out of reach of her fingertips, before it settled in a quiet realisation – she had been dragged down this pathway three days ago.

She squinted out into the distance. Were those doors up ahead the entrance to the slums? Then that meant that across to the left was a rickety old gate, too small to see at this distance. Aerith seemed to surge with a borrowed energy, as if the fear and excitement of that day had left behind an echo for her now.

She remembered what it had felt like, to get that first glimpse of the sky. The way it seemed to sweep away from her. Endless but beautiful. Maybe that was what she needed. To be swept away. Maybe she needed the sky to swallow her and all the sadness and fear along with her.

As she reached the gate she couldn't hold back the flash of a memory from three days past, of Zack fiddling anxiously at the latch, eager to get inside but afraid to make too much noise. She wanted so badly to reach out and hold him, to pull him back from the memory in which she could still see him dying on the hilltop, but the street was empty today. She shut the gate silently behind her and walked up the stairs alone.

The air in the stairwell was as dank and musky as she remembered and she climbed the staircase slowly, step by step. Just as before the height made her head feel light and her stomach flutter. She was used to the flat land of sector 5. The people of the slums didn't have much call to walk upwards. She gripped more tightly to the banister; this time she didn't have anyone to help her to the top.

As she rounded the spiral the entrance opened out and Aerith was suddenly in the open air. The sky was so vast and blue, it filled her entire vision, and today the wind was powerful and wild. It flew at her with full force, pushing her backwards and threatening to knock her down. She span back into the shelter and clutched tightly to the banister, eyes squeezed shut against the rampage outside.

She could feel the wind sweep up her hair swinging it round in circles and arcs. With her eyes pressed shut the cold battered against her face. It wasn't something she'd felt in a long time. There was no weather to speak of in the slums; every day was the same dull and heavy stillness. Up here it was completely different. The wind swooped and crashed and soared and fell.

Slowly, Aerith allowed herself to open her eyes, but she could only stare at the sky in disbelief. It was just as she'd feared it would be: deep and unforgiving, but it was also heavy and dark. Blues and purples were streaked across the sky, bleeding together into a terrible, but striking picture. She felt closer to the sky than she ever had before. It was terrifying, but it was also pained.

The wind, too, was awful. It was so boundless and uncontrolled, but somehow it was wild enough, it was vast enough, to contain what she was feeling. It thrashed and flew and fell just as Aerith did. Here was something that hadn't carried on as normal. How strange… the one thing she feared the most was the only thing that _knew_. Outside of the shelter of the slums, the world hadn't forgotten.

Aerith took a deep breath and let go of the banister. She stood on the middle of the top step, still under the protection of the stairwell, but a little freer. She had to plant her feet firmly to stand still, and the wind pounded against her ears, but she shut her eyes and let her hands drop to her sides until she felt everything pouring out of her, charging the weather.

Eventually the clouds began to hang heavily in the sky, and the first drop of rainfall splashed on to Aerith's cheek and ran down the side of her face. Shaking, she bowed her head, and drew her hands up in prayer. What was about to happen was terrible. It was so unfair, so unquestionably cruel. But for her part, it felt a little easier to deal with, because the Planet hadn't forgotten.

Drawing up all her courage she forced herself to look up, to look out through the now pelting rain, into the sky. She watched one last time as it hung, deep,.com/ and dark and slashed with colour.

"Thank you" she whispered.

She ducked back down into the stairway, and made her way down under the Plate, back to the Church to tend the flowers. Only this time it felt a little easier. This time she wasn't alone.

_______________________________________________________________

**Since I was posting this chapter, I decided to add a note. To all of you, please please please forgive GSWoH! She's been so very busy! All of you should know how school feels, yes?**

**The next chapter may, again, be a rush for me, but we'll see.**

**MR**


	8. The Seventh Day

**A/N: Hey! Before I start the chapter, there's something both GSWoH and I would like to say.**

"**HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!"**

**Good luck with all your romantic exploits and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

**The Last 100 Days**

**Chapter 8: The Seventh Day**

**By: Moiranne Rose**

**Challenge Prompt: There was a knock on the door.**

**Chapter Summary: She felt like there was a whole side of him she never really knew at all.**

**Thankfully betaed by: GSWoH**

* * *

All her life, it felt like someone was following her. From when she was small, ShinRa had had Turks tailing her everywhere. It scared her sometimes,that murderers, hound dogs of a terrifyingly powerful company, knew every move she used to use it as a ploy to make her behave herself.

"You put one foot wrong, the Turks will blow it off!"

Those were the days that she saw ShinRa and thought blood, hatred and cold, calculating were the days where she shied away from the garishly red diamond logo, where she kept hearing footsteps behind her but, turning around, saw nothing. She lived in fear of the company, the de facto government.

The days before Zack.

Zack didn't just change her views, he took them, smashed them and stomped on them for good measure. He was the opposite of everything she thought ShinRa to be. He lavished her with ready smiles, filled the silences in her church, in her heart, with warm laughter, his voice coaxing her own reluctant one out. Instead of being scared, cowed and uncomfortable, he made her relaxed, happy and open. Though, she still found it unsettling that he hugged her with the same hand with which he swung a sword.

There was always a line that divided him as a SOLDIER from her as a commoner. There was this barrier that she could not cross, a barrier of killing, a barrier of forgetting the killings. Whenever Zack went into a daze, with an uncharacteristic frown on his face, when he abruptly ended his sentence and he seemed to forget she was there, when there was this terrible sadness that fell over him, she longed to pull him from the misery. Every time she asked, he told her it was nothing, even as his eyes told her the opposite.

Even now, she didn't know where he was, what he was doing, when he'd come back. His calls were frequent, but spoke little of details of his work, and more of little events that he recalled of his day, a quick anecdote of his underlings, something funny (he could always find these) about his superiors.

Elmyra always told her that relationships started with understanding and trust. How could she know, for sure, that she loved someone that she only half-knew?

* * *

The day passed slowly. She almost wished Elmyra would give her more work to do, more things to occupy her mind so her mind wouldn't dwell on the it was, she tried to drag out her tasks to fill up the spaces. Just before she left for the church, the house phone heard Elmyra's heavy footsteps as she went to take the call.

_Please. Please let it be Zack._

As if Fate heard her call (finally, after all the time it spent ignoring her pleas), she immediately heard Elmyra calling her to the phone.

"Lover boy's on the line!"

Not even hearing the playful mocking in Elmyra's voice, she all but dashed to the phone and put it to her ear. Her basket lay forlornly at a side, his voice came on, she closed her eyes and savoured it.

"_Hey Aerith."_

Suddenly, she forgot Elmyra was close at hand.

"Zack! Zack, are you alright?" All thoughts of manners or greetings vanished upon hearing his voice.

"_Nice to know someone cares. 'M fine. Why wouldn't I be?"_

She faltered at his words. He was going to die, in 93 days, going to leave, in 93 days. How could she tell him that?

"_Hey Aerith, giving me the silent treatment again, huh? I didn't mean anything by it, y'know..."_

She giggled, trying to ease the hurt tone made him so endearing. "Nothing, Zack," she cast around for something else to say. "The flowers are growing wonderfully."

"_Including mine?" _

"Of course! You didn't think I'd forget, right?" They shared a laugh. ButAerith's smile faded away too quickly.

"When will you be coming back?"

"_Oh, uh, soon. If the past few days are anything to go on. Everything's going well over here."_

"What have you been doing over there?"

"_Uhh...y'know. The usual stuff. ShinRa likes bossing us around."_

She tried to ignore his vagueness.

"I miss you, Zack."

Her sudden rush of bravery surprised her. Given the silence at the other end, maybe the quiet statement shook him as much as it did her.

"_Aww...Aerith. I miss you too. I'll be back soon, you know tha-" _There was a noise at his end of the line, someone talking in the background. Something about Wutai spies in Midgar.

In Midgar! When Zack wasn't around to protect her. Her heart gave an uncomfortable jolt as her mind reeledwith all those fears again.

"_Aerith?"_

She realised he'd started talking again.

"Yeah?"

"_I've got to go. But I'll be back! Real soon. Tomorrow evening the latest."_

His words silenced the malicious, taunting memories in her head. The past no longer mattered. He was coming back soon!

"Okay!" She answered a bit too eagerly. "See you then."

"_Bye, hun."_ Click.

She sank down into the nearest chair, phone still clutched fervently in her hand. She disregarded Elmyra's raised eyebrow at her foolish grin.

* * *

Maybe it was the call that fueled her, or perhaps the sheer force of habit, but she found herself strolling to the church, hopefully, expectantly. Her heart swelled with happiness and joy, her step oddly light. She even graced the few Slum dwellers that passed her by with one of her smiles, instead of her recent morose nods. Her thoughts, no longer chained by misery, soared and swooped.

Her happiness scared her really. The fact that she could be happy when Zack was – Zack was – (She couldn't say it.), when he was going to leave she felt untouched by that sadness, as if it was behind the thinnest veil, and she could breeze past without thinking of it as much as before.

She climbed up the steps of the church, taking them two at a time . She creaked open the door and walked in, passing the pail that she'd left under the gaping hole in the ceiling. Rain came less often these days, and drinking water could not be wasted on the flowers, so she'd resolved to collect as much rainwater as possible to use.

Picking up the jug that had rolled under one of the pews, she scooped up the cool water and splashed it onto the flowers. She gave an extra bit to the ones that were slightly browned at the petals. And it seemed like each slosh of water made them stand straighter, taller. Or maybe (just maybe) they knew Zack was coming back? She hid a smile with her hair. So the Planet did know, after all.

Just as she flopped down next to the bed of flowers, there was a knock on the door.

First, her heart leaped. _He's back already! _But then as the knocks came again, in quick succession, _Knock-kn-knock-knock,_ there was a difference. And then again, she realised, heart sinking into her stomach, Zack never knocked. Then who would come here? Who would care to seek a lowly flower girl?

The knowledge hits her like a splash of cold water. It's _them_. Them, with the navy suits and the license to kill. She got up and slowly, slowly, slowly walked to the door, heaving it open with arms like jelly.

Like all first encounters, Aerith found her eyes scouring this Turk, taking in the unbuttoned blue jacket, that same smile that's seen death far too many times, the eyes that betray youth and somewhat insane loyalty, the hair that's curly but not out of place, the shuriken that's polished so well, it almost fooled Aerith that it hasn't been used. It's the same uniform, but a new face. A rookie, Aerith smiled wryly.

The girl looked straight back at her, head slightly tilted to the side. She surveyed her like she was an interesting beetle on her arm. She didn't see her as Aerith, she saw her like everyone of ShinRa did. Just like the "experiment" she was. She probably imagined the speck of humanity not blotted out in her eyes.

It had been three weeks since they stopped coming. Aerith felt like slamming the door on the girl's face and running away. It was like her old dreams had come back. Zack didn't look like this. He was warm, welcoming, loving, _real._ This girl must have lost all of that already. Then the girl reached out her hand, the one that wasn't clutching the gleaming weapon, and grasped hers.

"My name's Cissnei. I'm a friend of Zack."

* * *

Cissnei was, indeed, one of Zack's was a moment or two where Aerith and Cissnei stood awkwardly, casting about for something to say. Cissnei commented that the flowers were beautiful. Aerith replied saying that Zack felt that way too. Jumping upon this, it wasn't long before both began speaking of Zack.

"He's the only person who can make Tseng hesitate and not know what to say."

"He's the only guy who dares to hug-tackle his mentor Angeal while he's training the new recruits."

"He's the only one who barges his way into Sephiroth's office uninvited, and doesn't come out uniform in shreds."

Aerith responded in kind.

"He's the only one who tramples on my flowers and apologizes."

"He's the only person who makes bad jokes and doesn't expect me to laugh at them."

"He's the only guy who can smile at, seemingly, nothing at all.

Both spoke of him fondly in high, lilting voices, about his cheeky pranks on his superiors, about his infectious optimism, sharing a laugh at times. Listening to Cissnei, Aerith felt a rush of pride. That was _her_ Zack. _Her _Zack making everyone laugh. Yet, a distinctly sour taste clung to her tongue.

This girl knew a part of Zack she would never know of, the part he slipped into as he walked out of her church, skipped down the stone steps and left the Slums. This girl knew more to Zack than she did.

The girl stopped for a moment, catching her breath. Then she added a sentence, softer than all the rest. In her eyes rested such a human emotion that it made Aerith take a step back and reconsider was...searching? Wondering? Jealous?

"He talks about you a lot." The statement's so quiet that Aerith almost didn't catch it. But she did, and her voice catches in her throat.

"Really?" She didn't dare believe it. "What does he say?"

Cissnei, the Turk, leaned her head back, once more in the guise of cool indifference.

"The usual stuff. He says how you're so cute and innocent, he talks about your flowers, your caring nature. But most of the time," Cissnei stopped to look at her meaningfully. "He always says that you deserve better."

Aerith's heart drummed out a thunderous beat."Wh-why would I deserve better?" Her eyes betrayed as much confusion as she felt.

Cissnei laughed, not maliciously though.

"Look at you. You're a Cetra, and," She pointed a finger towards her chest."You've got a big heart. I guess he's sorry that he's away so much. He says that he misses you."

Aerith couldn't stop the smile from bubbling up.

"I...I miss him too."

Cissnei nods, a quick, bird-like movement. Then she looked down to her watch.

"Oh well, I must be off. I've spent so long talking to you, I'm almost late." She picked up the shuriken that was propped up by one of the pillars, running her gloved hands over it.

"Bye...and thank you." Those two words couldn't even _begin_ to express her gratitude. For the hour that she was here, the girl told her everything that would sustain her until Zack came back.

"No problem." Cissnei waved away the thanks and, turning on her heel, walked out of the doors.

* * *

As they closed with a note of finality, Aerith was left standing amidst wisps of fading happiness. She sat down with a _plop_ back next to the flowers which gleamed with the water that gathered in the hollows of their bells.

Cissnei had changed her view on the Turks. They were no longer the dark angels that lurked in corners, leering, protecting. They were unfortunate humans that Life had directed to play the part of murderers. They never had the chance to say no. Cissnei had also showed her that the Zack that left her church everyday was the same Zack that entered ShinRa. Forever like sunshine, warming everyone around him. She clutched on to this thought fervantly, as she lay her head down on her bare forearms.

Her final thought before sleep took her was an excited one, an impulsive one.

_Oh Zack, come back soon! I have so much to tell you!_

* * *

**A/N: Argh! * ducks flying bullets * Sorry guys! I've been swamped with work for the last while and I've only gotten a chance to write for these few days. Forgive me.**

**And love Hope. A lot.**

**MR**


	9. The Eighth Day

**A.N. (GSWoH) Yet again, thank you for your patience for this chapter. I've just handed in my dissertation so I'm hoping to have more time for writing from now on!**

--

**Chapter 9: The Eighth Day**

**Challenge Prompt: Say A Prayer For Me**

**Summary: Sometimes we need to let go of a little of the weight of responsibility.**

**Beta: Moiranne Rose**

--

Zack's footsteps echoed through the otherwise silent corridor. At this time in the morning the prison in Junon felt as if it were empty, even though guards rested in private rooms on every corridor, keeping a silent surveillance over the inmates. He came to a stop outside a thick metal door, identical to every other in the matrix of corridors that made up the prison. He took a long look at the mission notes. For some reason he wasn't eager to see this particular prisoner again so soon.

Over the past few days, quite a number of Wutaian insurgents had found themselves shut away in this prison. In this cell was SOLDIER's most recent acquisition - a young man who had activated explosives on one of ShinRa's cruise liners. SOLDIER had diffused the bomb but, probably alarmed at the potential for loss of life, the President had demanded that the troops return to Midgar that night, bringing the man responsible with them. He was most likely to be made an example of.

Zack stared blankly at the console at the side of the door. Somehow he hadn't quite managed to rid the man's face from his mind. In the furore it had been hard to get a good look at him, but he'd seen enough to know he was young, mid-teens maybe. There'd been such an insane passion about him. His fighting style showed little evidence of training or prowess and yet his lack of control gave him the strength of someone three times his size. Something about the whole affair had left Zack feeling uncharacteristically apprehensive.

He laughed, surprised at himself, only to be met with a jab of pain at his chest where he'd pulled a muscle earlier that night. He shook his head. Too much action and too little sleep, that was all this was. After all, he was only escorting a criminal back to Midgar, nothing he hadn't done a million times before. He flashed his keycard through the console at the side of the cell. With a beep the door swung open.

"Hey. Change of plan," Zack said, wearily. "We're gonna take you back to Midgar tonight."

The prisoner didn't speak, but slowly held out both hands to be handcuffed. Now that the heat of battle had died down, his eyes had lost their crazed fire only to be replaced by an unflinching insistence. They didn't drop from Zack's gaze for a second as he rose to his feet, ready to be led from the prison.

Zack frowned internally as he studied the rebel. He'd been right about the boy's age. The kid's jaw was set in determination, and he had a harsh resolution about him that could match that of the most war hardened criminals Zack had apprehended, but there was a childlike quality to his features that even the coldest of his glares couldn't conceal. He was too young to be taking on the kind of missions that had been assigned to him.

Zack laid a light hand on the prisoner's back. Not that he expected him to show it, but the boy must have been in quite some pain. He'd certainly made it difficult for them last night, and it had taken more than Zack would have liked to take him down. He could still trace the path of his own blade along the deep gash just visible below the boy's shoulder blade. Still, the rebel barely flinched as Zack guided him onward, and as they passed through the doorway, he planted both feet firmly on the floor, resisting Zack's direction, and threw his head back.

"For Wutai!" he cried.

The prison erupted, cries of victory emanating from behind every cell door, refusing to relent as enraged guards burst out onto the corridors, hammering on the doors and shouting for order.

"Seishou!" the inmates cried. "Jiyuu! Shunketsu!"

_Shunketsu..._

Zack's knowledge of Wutaian was shaky at best, but that was a word that he did know. Shunketsu.

_Hero. _

--

Zack smiled regretfully as he pulled back the door to the van. All four of the third classes that had accompanied him on the assignment were asleep in their seats, each of them sporting a variety of hastily dressed injuries. Still, it was a good thing they were getting some rest. It had been a long night for everyone.

"Guess it's nap time, huh?" he nodded to the driver, before turning to restrain the prisoner in one of the empty chairs.

"Looks that way," he answered from behind the wheel. "You might want to get some sleep as well, sir. We won't be back in Midgar until five or six in the morning."

Zack risked a glance at the prisoner as he finished fixing one side of the handcuffs to the van's safety rail. His chest was bruised and aching after the battle, and it felt like a long time since he'd seen his hotel bed. Yet suddenly he didn't feel like sleeping.

"Maybe later" he muttered, as he eased himself into the remaining chair, trying to hide a grimace as his ribs protested against the movement.

"As you wish, sir" the driver answered, and the van rumbled into action.

"Ohhhkay. Let's see what we got here" Zack said, heaving his rucksack onto his knee and fumbling through its contents. "I hope you like chicken." He tossed a sandwich in the direction of the criminal.

The man batted it away with his unrestrained hand, sending it spinning across the room. "I don't take food from dogs."

"Suit yourself." Zack shrugged, pulling the cling-film away from his own sandwich and chomping hungrily. He tried to ignore the incessant staring of the boy in the corner.

"You talk with an accent," the prisoner said at last.

Zack raised an eyebrow. "You're one to talk, kid."

"You are worse than these others." The rebel eyed the sleeping third classes. "You're not from Midgar and yet you throw in your blade with ShinRa." He leant forward, accusingly. "What do you fight for? Money?"

Zack scoffed. "You wouldn't say that if you saw my pay packet," but evidently that was not enough of an answer for the prisoner, his eyes still trained resolutely on Zack, who shifted under the angry gaze. "It just so happensthatShinRa's done a lot for my hometown. They could do a lot for Wutai too, if you'd let them."

The rebel gave a slow nod. "I see. So you've allowed ShinRa to take hold of your country and rape your resources. Wutai will not bend so easily."

"We haven't _bent!_" Zack protested, incredulous. "We _embraced_ the opportunities that ShinRa gave to us."

The prisoner shook his head. "You come from a race of cowards, who welcome the enemy when they should oppose him, and _you,_" he spat, "you are worse than them. You join forces with those who would exploit your homeland. You have no honour."

Furious, Zack floundered for an answer, but before he could speak, the voice of the driver cut through the silence, his tone steely and authoritative. "You ought to remember who you're speaking to. My colleague is one of the elite among ShinRa's armed forces. You are in ShinRa's custody. It would serve you well to consider your place."

Zack shut his eyes, frustrated at himself. Why hadn't he just said that from the start? He'd thought he was beyond letting some prisoner push his buttons. What was it about this guy that got him so worked up? He leant back in his seat with a sigh. It had just been a hard day. The hour was too late, the opposition too young, and the damage to their troops too extensive for the victory to really feel like a victory. The best thing to do now was just to get back to Midgar, let ShinRa have their moment of triumph and then get on with things as usual.

He pulled his phone from his pocket, to look at the time glowing green on its display. 02.42. Three hours or so until they'd get back. It couldn't come a moment too soon. What he wouldn't give just be lounging around in the Church with Aerith right now. Still, as he looked around the van, at his injured colleagues and glaring captive, that felt like an awfully long way away.

--

The mako light outside was positively glaring into Aerith's bedroom that morning. Other people, the people from above the Plate, Zack and the others, would think little of it. They were so used to the light of the sun in the morning, they'd most likely sneer at this artificial blaze. It was beautiful to Aerith though; it was a herald, a signfor the day, because today, _today..._ Zack was coming back!

She hugged her knees, her whole face glowing with a wide grin. _Just a few more hours! _She swung her legs around the side of her bed and almost skipped along the hallway to their bathroom. The strangest thing, she thought as she took her toothbrush from the holder on the windowsill, was that it hadn't even been that hard. To lose three days of their life together when time was so short... In almost no time at all though, here she was smiling and singing, and tripping around the room. It was if everything was forgotten, none of it mattered anymore, because now Zack was coming home! It seemed so wrong of her.

It was everything around her, she decided, as she rinsed the last of the toothpaste off her brush. She'd been supported at every point, at first by the Planet and then by one of its people: a Turk, no less. Because of them,the days had flown by.

Aerith's hand slowed to a stop as she reached for her hairbrush. Was this how it would be in ninety-two days time? Would she forget everything that could have been, everything that they'd lost, would she be _happy_ when it happened, just because someone or something was prepared to come alongside her and shoulder the load?

Her expression hardened. It wasn't like that, not yet. Right now her time was wasted grieving what was to come. Here, _today_, she had been given a chance to pull close to Zack. She'd be a fool if she didn't grasp it with excited hands.

She rushed through the brushing of her hair and pulled her curls into an untidy plait. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. As she turned towards the door her dress swung out behind her and she flitted back along the corridor to her bedroom, little more on her heart than the joy of Zack's return.

--

In spite of himself, Zack couldn't help the rush of relief he felt as the glass door of the ShinRa headquarters swished closed behind him. The insurgent was finally away in one of the Company's cells, the rebel activity in Junon had been quashed, for the moment at least, he'd done everything ShinRa had asked of him. It felt good to be a free agent again, even if only for a few hours.

He grasped the handle of the van door, wrenching it open. Yet again, a burst of pain shot through his side and he stumbled back against the van. At once, the driver appeared at his side.

"Are you injured, sir?" he asked, opening the door the rest of the way and guiding Zack on to one of the seats.

Zack frowned, annoyed. "I was hoping I wasn't." Sitting down, he unclipped both his braces and pulled his jumper up away from his belt, revealing a patchwork of blue and purple bruises that had developed and overlapped across his chest. Zack blinked. "Geez." He traced a hand over his ribs, sucking sharply through gritted teeth as it ran across the left hand side.

The driver bent over him, watching with obvious concern. "You should have that x-rayed, sir."

"Yeah I guess so." Zack arranged his uniform. "Not now though," he said, re-clipping the last brace to his belt. "I really don't want to stick around here any longer. And it's Zack by the way."

"I'm sorry?"

Zack smiled. " Zack. Not sir. Sir is a title for old guys in suits. Besides, I can't have you being all formal. I owe you on about three counts"

The driver frowned, confused. "You don't-"

"Item one." Zack grinned, holding up a finger. "Helping me out in one of my less heroic moments." He rolled his eyes in the direction of the van door. "Item two." He held up a second finger, but his grin softened as he looked seriously at his colleague, "Bailing me out on the way back. I would have lost it with that prisoner."

The driver stammered, his cheeks flaming red. "I... I forgot my place."

Zack shook his head. "You kept control of things, which is more than you could say for me. In fact I wanted take your name so I can put in a good word for you in my mission report."

The driver's blush deepened. "It's Aden Jackoby. B-but you don't have to..."

Zack chuckled. "I wouldn't say that just yet. You haven't heard item number three."

"Number three?"

"Yeah. I need another favour from you." Zack leaned back, looking over the other man's shoulder at the four third classes still sprawled out across the other seats, all of them covered in plasters and bandages from the fight. He met the driver's gaze. "I really don't want to make the guys walk back."

"Oh I can take you all to the barracks. My shift is over now anyway so the time's my own."

Zack smiled. "I'm really glad it was you they sent today. I'll make sure the army knows how great you've been." As he eased himself up out of the chair the driver offered an arm in assistance.

"Didn't you want to go back to barracks now?" Aden asked, confused.

"Nah not me. If you could just take the others back that would be great."

"As you wish S-"

Zack raised his eyebrows pointedly.

"Zack." The driver corrected.

"That's better." Zack grinned, clapping him on the back. "Thanks for everything."

It felt good to step down from the van and watch it trundle away into the smoggy morning. _Mission accomplished. _All that remained now was to go to Aerith's and set about making up for lost time. It was great. It should have been great. But he still couldn't keep himself from glancing up at the barred windows of the prison floor before he made his way out of the sector.

--

Zack hovered nervously before Aerith's front door. Was it too early to knock? The curtains were open, so it looked like people were up, but was it worth the risk? So far every attempt he had made to impress Elmyra had resulted in unmitigated failure. The last thing he wanted to do was to make things worse. Besides, his stomach was already beginning to somersault at the thought of enduring one of her disapproving glares while he stuttered through a request to see Aerith. Maybe it would be better just to sit and wait. After all, he'd been looking forward to seeing how his flowers were getting on.

With his chest still throbbing, climbing up the ladder to the flowerbed was challenging, but do-able. Crouching down to look at the flowers was a little more problematic, but eventually he managed to shift into a position that was comfortable. He lifted one of the buds to get a better look. The petals were only just beginning to emerge but already he could see the vivid orange veins standing out against the paler yellow. He did a quick calculation. 5 years. That was how long it had been since he'd seen these, or anything from Gongaga. It felt strange to have this one part of his past intermingled with his life in Midgar. He rubbed the stem absentmindedly between his fingertips. Something else that had made the long journey with him.

"_Zack?_" came an incredulous voice below him.

He scrambled to his feet, forgetting for a moment about the pain in his chest – not that he was allowed to forget for long: another surge had him doubled over and clutching at the fence for support.

Aerith rushed across to the wall. "Are you alright?"

As the pain subsided, Zack straightened up, embarrassed, but he couldn't help but be touched by the genuine concern on her face. "You look beautiful" he said softly.

Aerith's eyes were searching his face, full of worry. Zack shifted uncomfortably. He must look a state. He'd been awake for more than twenty-four hours now, his eyes must be heavy and bloodshot, after the journey no doubt his hair was even more out of control than usual, not to mention the bruise that had been beginning to develop on his cheek as they left from Junon – that was probably ugly and purple by now. Suddenly he was even more relieved that he hadn't shown his face toElmyra.

"You look awful!" she declared.

"At least you're honest!" Zack laughed, only for his breath to be snatched away by another jab of pain.

"And you're hurt!" she added, distressed.

"Nah. Not really. Besides," he grinned, "we've got bigger things to think about. If you get yourself up here there's a present I've been keeping for you."

She hesitated. "You're really alright?"

"Yeah. We just travelled back through the night. I haven't slept yet, that's all."

She eyed him, still unconvinced.

"And I got a bit of a knock in the battle. No big deal," he shrugged.

Her frown gave way to a smile as he cocked his head in a mock-pleading look. "Okay, okay, I'm coming!"

He stooped with a groan to grab his bag as she scrambled up the ladder, pulled out the gift and quickly concealed it behind his back.

"I missed you," Aerith said softly, inspecting her sandals.

Zack grinned. "I missed you too sweetheart." He put his free hand arm around her shoulders and pulled her into the less painful side of his chest, squeezing tightly. "You wanna see what I got for you?"

Aerith nodded enthusiastically and spread out both hands before him. Zack placed the gift on her open palms. A little watering can, painted pink and with an orange flower emblazoned on the side.

"It's... it's lovely..." she said, turning the gift over in her hands.

Zack had to suppress a painful laugh at her look of confusion. "It's a watering can." He explained. "For watering plants. We used to have them back home. I found this one in a gift shop. Don't ask me where they got it from, though. I don't think Junon has ever _seen _a flower."

"Oh" she smiled. "That's so nice. Can I use it now?"

"Of course you can! Come on, let's fill it with water!"

Aerith hurried down the ladder, with Zack clambering down awkwardly behind her. She was already filling the present with water when he got to the doorway. He gave a nervous wave to Elmyra, who sat at the breakfast table. Seeing her frown at him from behind the morning paper, he turned and smoothed through his hair in a vain attempt to make himself look a little more respectable.

"Okay! It's all ready!" Aerith announced, catching Zack by the hand and dragging him back towards the flower beds.

They stayed there for a good half an hour while Aerith darted around every one of the flowers, making sure they each drank just the right amount. Zack mostly sat and watched while Aerith chatted animatedly and marvelled at the watering can. Mostly she talked about flowers and the people from the slums and other things that Zack didn't really understand, but it didn't matter. Up there, in their little flower bed, the rest of the world melted away. All that mattered was the two of them.

Everything was as it should be again.

--

The wall to the Church, though pleasant, had been fairly muted before Aerith spoke at last.

"Zack," she began, hesitantly. "There was something that I wanted to tell you."

"What's that?" he smiled, turning to look at her as they walked.

"Did I ever tell you that I used to worry about your work, and what you were like when you were with SOLDIER?"

Zack frowned. "No, you didn't."

"It was silly really." She gave a nervous smile. "I think I just thought the worst because I didn't know much about that part of you, but I wanted to tell you that I realised yesterday that I don't need to be scared. It's all just the same you that I know." She smiled up at him, creases forming at the sides of her eyes as she drank him in.

Zack nodded slowly. "Okay. That's good"

But as they walked further down the pathway, Zack found himself still mulling over her words. "You know, the only reason I don't talk too much about work is because I thought you wouldn't want to hear it. You never seemed all that comfortable with the SOLDIER thing."

"I wasn't," she nodded in agreement, "but it's okay now. I just wanted you to know that it doesn't bother me anymore."

Zack gave her a long look. "Did you want me to tell you more?"

"Nope," Aerith smiled, looping her arm through his. "You can tell me as much as you want. Or as little."

Zack nodded. "Okay."

They walked the rest of the journey in silence.

--

When they reached the Church, Aerith wasted no time in skipping across to the bucket she'd left in the middle of the room and plunging the watering can into the rain water. Zack eased himself to the ground, and rested his head in his cupped palms. For some reason he still couldn't arrest his thoughts from their conversation on their way to the Church. He played Aerith's words over in his head, trying to figure out why they had bothered him so much.

"It wasn't really true you know." The words rushed from him unexpectedly, but as soon as he had spoken them he knew that he was right.

Over near the flower beds, Aerith was frowning in confusion. "What wasn't true?"

He shut his eyes. "I don't just keep things from you because I think you don't want to hear them."

Silence. Zack opened his eyes and looked over to Aerith, his palms beginning to sweat beneath his gloves.

"Why, then?" she asked, her brow knotted in confusion.

"Sometimes," he began, slowly, concentrating hard as he tried to translate his feelings into words, "when I finish work I don't want to think about it any longer."

Aerith laughed. "Well that's okay Zack!"

Zack's eyes dropped to the floor. "I'm not sure it is."

"Why not," Aerith spoke tentatively, as if she were trying to puzzle him out.

"I used to love working so much. It didn't matter what the job was. In fact, the harder the better. Lately, I dunno..." His shoulders slumped. "It just feels like it's gotten so complicated."

Aerith set down the watering can and sat down by his side, resting a nervous hand on his thigh. "Perhaps you're just tired," she smiled softly, "maybe you ought to go home and sleep. Things will feel better."

"I guess so." Zack leant back onto the floor with a groan, resting his head on the palms of his hands. She was right of course, his head and eyes were aching with the lack of sleep, and no doubt if he could only get some rest he'd be able to think clearly enough to sort all this out.

So why was he still so reluctant to go back to the barracks?

He sighed, watching the dust as it danced around in the shaft of light that had burst through the hole in the ceiling. Everything was always so calm here. Maybe it was Aerith's influence, or perhaps because it had been a Church, but when he was here it was as if time just drifted dreamily along, without a care in the world. The barracks were different altogether: cold and stark and metallic. That wasn't what he wanted at that moment. It would make it so much harder to forget.

"I arrested a kid today," he began, staring up at the ceiling. "He was sixteen maybe." He looked to the floor. "He'll probably get the death penalty."

"Oh Zack!" Aerith moved her hand to his arm, giving him a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry! That must have been so hard."

Zack didn't reply.

"He must have been a criminal, though, right?" she continued. "Maybe... it'd help to think about all the people that you've protected by keeping him away."

Zack pushed himself up on his elbows to look at her properly. "He was protecting his hometown. He did nothing that I wouldn't have done." Zack stared blankly into his lap. It was frightening to think how easily their positions could be reversed. All it would take was for Gongaga to resist ShinRa instead of Wutai and it might have been Zack sat in a cell now, waiting for the Company's judgement.

"He reminded me a lot of me you know," he told Aerith, "when I was younger. You can spot a kid from a small town like mine a mile away. When I took him to the headquarters he stood and gawped at all the electronics just the same way as I did when I first got here. Plus he was so pigheadedly determined that he was going to win. It worked for him as well. We sent five men against his platoon and every one of us is a wreck this morning." Zack frowned in thought. "If I was a rebel, that's the kind I'd be."

Aerith bit her lip, her concern evident. "You're not him Zack," she said, firmly.

Zack lay back with a sign. "I know."

It didn't make it any easier though. It felt like there ought to be more to separate him from his opponents. It wasn't that long ago that it felt like there had been: every opponent needed to be taken off the streets; every mission was going to help the world. But lately everything had been turned upside down. Even the most significant players in SOLDIER had decided that ShinRa weren't fighting on the right side. The people that he fought now were just the other villagers whose homes had been colonised, former colleagues turned genetic mutants, or in some cases, friends. Suddenly there were no heroes or villains or failure or victory. Everything had merged into a messy jumble. How could he continue to do his job when things were like this?

Zack shut his eyes. _If there was ever a time that I needed Angeal..._

A good few minutes passed in silence. Perhaps Aerith had sensed that he didn't want to talk any more. That was good. There were no answers that she could offer anyway. He stared absent-mindedly into the coloured light that streamed through the stained glass window.

Zack sat up with a jolt, clutching at his side as pain sparked once again from his ribcage.** "**This is a Church!" he declared.

Aerith was staring at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"Do you ever pray in here?" he asked her.

Aerith's cheeks flushed ever so slightly, but she nodded. "All the time."

"Do you think that there's something out there that cares about whether we do things that are right or wrong?"

Aerith hesitated, "Well, I think that the Planet thrives when we work with it and not against it..."

"Okay." Zack rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling suddenly awkward. "Do you think you could say a prayer for me?"

"Of course I will," Aerith smiled. "What do you want me to pray about?"

Zack met her gaze. "I want to know that I'm fighting for the right side. Could you pray that I always would be? Do people pray for things like that?"

Aerith laughed. "I'm sure that they do. You can pray for anything."

"Okay then!" he grinned, before easing himself back to the floor and continuing to watch the dust dance.

--

Aerith smiled as Zack tucked his hands once more beneath his head. She gave his tangled hair a stroke before returning to the flowers. Zack never failed to amaze her. If she worried about something, she mentally picked it up, turned it round, wrung it out and refused to let it go. Zack could go from complete anxiety to unbroken peace of mind in a matter of seconds. Still, it was nice that there was something she could do to help him out.

As the last of the water trickled onto the final flower, Aerith turned back to Zack.

"Would you like to-" she stopped short as she drew nearer. Zack was already sprawled out across the floorboards, fast asleep. Aerith giggled, and laid herself by his side, nesting her head on his shoulder and wrapping a tentative hand around his chest, afraid to hurt him. They lay there for a while, Aerith watching in silence as Zack slept. _I will pray for you_, she thought, _every single day. And after that I'll pray for your spirit. _She pressed herself in closer to his sleeping body.

_Just let the days go slowly. Just let them go slow.

* * *

_

**A/N: (MR) Hey guys! Whew, was that a long chapter!**** Hope and I are really sorry for the delay. We've both been really busy, especially Hope who squeezed out time to work on this despite her Uni work.  
**

** Recently, we've had two reviews (we thank the two readers who sent these) that have brought to our attention a major issue. Just to clarify, t****he length of our planned storyline was, when it first spawned from my mind, genuinely 100 chapters + one prologue + one epilogue.**

**B****ut, as the two reviewers have pointed out, that's a fairly mammoth undertaking and, although we would make every effort to get them all out, the story might be better served by leaving out some of the one hundred days to shorten the final length of the story. Before we do anything like that though, we wanted to hear the opinions of our readers, so we'd be really grateful if you would let us know your preferences. **

**Would you rather we stick to the plan of 102 chapters or would you like us to skip some of the days for the sake of concision and ensuring that the story is completed? Whatever we do though, we'll do our best to stay true to the story that we have so far and to your preferences as readers.**

**Love and Cookies,**

**MR and GSWoH**


	10. The Ninth Day

**The Last 100 Days**

**Chapter 10: The Ninth Day**

**Challenge Prompt: I'm in the mood for lovin'.**

**Chapter Summary: Sometimes, it's better to act on that burning desire, lest it be too late.**

**Thankfully Beta-ed by: GoldenShinyWireofHope**

* * *

Aerith awoke from a sleep bereft of the usual nightmares of the future, an unexpected blessing. She opened her eyes and shifted her body on the hard floor. She lifted her head from her surprisingly stiff pillow laboriously, her limbs still heavy with the languor of drowsiness. Bleary eyes took in the sunlit church floors and the steadily heaving chest of none other than Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class. So that's what my pillow was, she realised.

The sun was being particularly calm that day, another small advantage of waking up earlier. In the afternoons, it was unbearably warm, her dress had a bad habit of sticking to her back with the humidity. It was times like those that she hated having a hole in the Church roof. She thought of waking Zack up, but he seemed far too relaxed for her to think of breaking up his beauty sleep. As if on cue, he let out a contented sigh.

She moved as silently as she could to the bucket near the first pew, her new orange watering can floating on the clear water. The light rain the night before had half-filled her bucket with enough water to give her flowers a morning drink. She gripped the firm handle of the watering can, relishing in the way it fit into her hand. Zack did say the day before that if she wanted to thank him, she would use it all the time. As she doused her flowers with splashes of cool water, she smiled. She could get used to this.

She had to swerve her way around Zack's various pieces of gear, boots and shoulder plates seeming to compete with each other on who could trip her first. He wasn't the most organized person, or the most thoughtful. Sidestepping them, she was confronted with the soggy box remains of their dinner, a solitary piece of pepperoni pizza lying, cold and stiff, forlornly on the corrugated cardboard proclaiming "Presidential Pizza, serving only the best". She scowled and made a note to remind herself to throw it away.

After she was returned her watering can to its perch on the pew, she turned around and drew in a deep breath. Now, she would have to wake Zack up.

Looking back at her messy-haired lover, she furrowed her brow, trying to think of a way to wake the dead-to-the-world SOLDIER. She leaned over to examine his face. He was smiling faintly, his black spikes sticking to his face as sweat collected under his nose. He moved slightly, as if trying to get into a more comfortable position. With that slight movement, his smile disappeared and a frown tugged at his features.

It must be his ribs. She knew it was. His injury, caused by the enigmatic person he'd met yesterday in combat. The one that he talked about. The one just like him.

It was her turn to frown as she thought back to the morning past. He had asked her to pray for him, to pray that he would always fight on the right side. Wasn't he fighting for ShinRa? Wasn't that the right side? Then she stopped, her childhood memories flooding back to her, her parents' murders, her capture and imprisonment, her constant fear that someone was following her. That had been ShinRa. She closed her eyes to think, though her thoughts immediately swung to the fateful, horrible dream where Zack had been killed. That distinctive armour...

It was ShinRa. She saw again the guns, the cold faces, the falling-falling-falling figure of Zack, overwhelmed by sheer numbers. She bit back a scream. All the blood, all the deaths, all the wrong that she knew in the world, it was always ShinRa, it had always been ShinRa. Was she wrong then, telling him that it was alright to trust them? She should have known, she should have known, she should have _known_.

But he wasn't one of them, and he did say that the General, the fabled Sephiroth himself, was his friend. Surely that was enough protection for now. She managed to beat down all those confusing thoughts for a moment as she cautiously leaned closer still, her long front bangs brushing against his cheeks. He looked peaceful when he slept, he couldn't be a monster, he couldn't be fighting for more than liberty for others. He was Zack_. Her _Zack. He had done nothing wrong, and he would do nothing wrong. ShinRa was one thing, but she knew she could trust Zack to make his own decisions.

In a sudden rush of emotions, she swooped down and pecked him on his high cheekbone. And once she had done so, she immediately jumped back and coloured as one of his eyelids cracked open. She smacked herself inwardly for being so foolishly brave.

"Aerith?"

His voice too was laced with weariness.

"Yeah Zack," she replied, fearful that her small action upset him in some way.

"Five more minutes," he grumbled and closed his eye again.

Her mood instantly lifted and she laughed merrily. That was the Zack she knew, playful, cheeky and utterly endearing. She stood up with the air of a school teacher reprimanding a student, arms appropriately held akimbo.

"Not today Zackary Fair! It's time to rise and shine and save the world from mortal peril!"

He groaned again. "Gnn...do I _have _to?"

She tried a different tack, dropping to her knees again.

"Hey...Zack?" She sang in a high falsetto.

"Hmm...?"

She suppressed a laugh. His morning-grammar was about as bad as his bed hair (his spikes unruly and poking out at strange angles). One of his eyes opened again, its ethereal blue iris shining in the morning sun.

_One...two..._

"Aerith?"

_Three!_

She pounced on him and hugged him hard. How nice it was to hold his solid form, exuding _life_, and listen to his heartbeat, hard and strong, to remind her that for now, for the next 91 days, he was alive and kicking. His arms wrapped around her too and she pressed in still further.

"Ouf!" He let out a huff and pushed her away slightly. "Watch it, hun. This SOLDIER's injured."

Her eyes widened.

"I'm so sorry!"

She immediately withdrew her hands from his waist and moved away, wary of any pain she caused him. She berated herself, she should have known better than to try and hug him when he was hurt! He noticed her distress and, grabbing her hand, folded her into a gentler embrace, being careful about his bruised ribs at the same time.

"S'okay, Aerith. Just...be gentle yeah?"

She cautiously leaned further into his hug, making sure each moment was taken and cataloged in a huge archive of instances and fleeting touches that defined the basis of her love for him. Or something she thought could only be love, anyway. The beautiful moment was broken as Zack moved a little under her weight and yelped as his ribs grated against her body.

Aerith immediately stiffened. She'd had her doubts when he said that his injury was "nothing", and every single time he grimaced or scowled, This was definitely not as small an injury as he had made it out to be. She pursed her lips in a veritable imitation of her foster mother and lifted his arms away from her body. She twisted around in a kneeling position and tugged his shirt out of his pants to have a closer look. Her free hand searched for the spare Potion she kept in her pocket for emergencies. She hoped she wouldn't need to use it.

Zack made a sound of protest, but it quickly reverted to a muted cry of pain as Aerith prodded the discoloured region near his stomach. The bruising was to a larger extent than she thought, spreading like some terrible virus all over his abdomen. Judging by the mewling noises Zack made as she felt the area with feather-like touches, it was far worse than he had let on.

"You should have told me about this sooner! I might have herbs for this, plants at home that can heal these things! You--"

"You're," here Zack gasped a little as she pressed a spot near his belly button, "cute when you're flustered."

Aerith glared at him but her cheeks reddened at his teasing. Only he could make her feel infinitely comfortable and acutely aware of her every move at the same time, only when he was near could she be both careful and carefree. She bent low over his stomach, brown locks brushing it with their tips, observing the blue-black masterpiece the injury had made. It would be better in time, she concluded, relieved. She pushed her Potion further into her pocket. Then a thought came to her, her face crinkling into a devilish smile hidden in her hair. In one motion, she dipped her head and kissed one of the blacker spots.

"There. Even better than a Potion."

He made a surprised noise at that but, when she looked up smiling, he gave her a feeble version of his usual grin, the one that had girls weak at the knees every time it was flashed (it was obvious by the amount of jealous stares she got every so often). She firmly commited it to her memory, as stock for...the days to come. Her eyes prickled slightly with that statement. She bit her lip and steeled her resolve. Yes, she told herself, yes, he _was_ going to die. But she wouldn't, _wouldn't_ (here she emphasized it with a firm nod of her head), despair about it so long and miss out on the precious moments he _was _with her.

"Aerith?" She looked up again. "Gil for your thoughts."

She felt her lips already creeping up into a smile as she leaned back on the balls of her feet.

"Just _one_ gil?"

Zack laughed loudly, albeit a bit painfully.

"Cut me some slack; I'm a cheapskate and ShinRa doesn't pay very well."

She had to giggle as well, tugging at one of her fraying locks of hair that had come loose from her plait. When they had both stopped laughing, she suddenly realised that he still wanted an answer. She hesitated for a moment.

"I was – I was thinking about, well, _you_." (That wasn't a lie, just a..._white_ lie.)

"Seriously?" It was Zack's turn to turn red. His cheeks flamed and he started to pull a shaky hand through his hair more times than necessary. "That's...nice..."

She tried to wet her suddenly dry lips with her even drier tongue. She hated it when she spilled unwanted sentences when she wasn't careful, but that was just the thing about Zack. He made her feel so comfortable with him near that she could say anything, _do_ anything, and – and --

"Dilly dally, shilly shally."

The faint words came to her in an instant from the recesses of her mind. She remembered someone telling her that, a long time ago. Why was she fretting about what she said when she was sure Zack wouldn't mind even if she pretended to be a Chocobo and warked about the Church? Not that she would of course, but still.

"Y'know Aerith? You've been really...quiet recently."

His words interrupted her thoughts. She pressed her lips together and, eventually, had to nod. After the Planet's momentous decision to tell her of her lover's untimely death, it seemed like she was living in her constantly desolate thoughts more than in the real world. In fact, she did notice that she spent less and less time in the Slums with the children that flocked there for their daily games...

"Aerith!" She jerked out of her thoughts yet again. "Y'see what I mean? I --" He stopped the little bit of irritation that had wormed its way into his voice, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I don't want to sound selfish or anything but," his lips quirked up again. "I'd really like my girlfriend to myself!"

She couldn't help her huge smile at his admission to her being his girlfriend. Sure, she already knew she held the equivalent of it in his hierarchy of friends, family and pursuers, but hearing him say it, in his regular carefree way, she couldn't help but feel her heart balloon with intense love for Lt. Zackary Fair. She shot him a smile she'd hoped would convey all the little emotions in her.

"Now..." He had a distinctly mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm in the mood for some lovin'."

She shrieked when he grabbed her waist and pulled her to him, tickling her until her sides hurt and tears spilled from the corners of her eyes. He leaned back, releasing his grip on her, allowing her to get her breath back as she struggled up from the ground.

"Zackary – _pant – _Fair! Don't – _pant –_ ever do that – _pant –_ again," she warned him, index finger waggling dangerously close to his face. Her free hand managed to push her, finally, into a sitting position. She pouted, eyes rolling up and hands crossed in front of her.

"You said 'lovin'', not tickling!"

She only saw his smile and dancing blue eyes for a moment before something warm hit her mouth and stayed there and stayed there and made her eyes slide close and everything became uncertain and she didn't know where to put her hands or what she should be doing with her mouth but that didn't detract from that one fact.

Zack Fair was kissing her.

He was _kissing _her. Lip-on-lip kissing. _Real _man-woman kissing.

He was kissing _her. _Aerith Gainsborough, a lowly girl from the slums, a misfit with strange, mystical and hushed-up abilities, a dreamer looking for a protector. And here he was, hands at her hips, forehead against her forehead, lips against her lips. He pressed into the kiss, applying pressure on her inexperienced mouth, and she tried to move, tried to move in as well, then she felt something wet invade her mouth. She swallowed the little scream down as she tried to get used to the fact that his _tongue_ was in her _mouth _and it gently tried to coax her tongue up as well. Unsure at first, she stuck out her tongue a bit far, directly hitting his and invading into _his_ mouth, but he patiently repositioned his mouth over hers and made her move slower, helped her get to used to it.

It seemed all too soon when she finally ran out of air. Scared that she couldn't hold it longer, _s_he hastily broke the kiss and looked away, shamefaced and cheeks stained scarlet. Zack also looked away, unsure of what to do. Seeing him as uncertain as she was, she was instantly comforted. She felt a tentative smile coming over her face and it was mirrored in his. He touched his lips with the back of his hand.

"So...wanna do it again?"

She smacked his arm with her palm, but her eagerness wouldn't leave her voice.

"Of course!" Then, she quickly amended, "Only if you want to..."

He responded with another, softer kiss. His arm snaked up her back, sending little vibes of electricity all over her, and rested inside her hair, twisting it around his fingers. She buried her hand inside his black spikes, only slightly stiffened with gel. He peppered her lips with tiny kisses, and then moved to her jaw; she squirmed and squealed the whole way.

Each touch of his mouth to her skin felt like a little burn, but it was more comforting than painful. It was like he was slowly but surely setting her skin alight, making her flush in the heat of the sun and that of the moment. She was suddenly only aware of him above her, kissing her like she was the only thing that was keeping him anchored to the ground. And yet...

It was as if the rest of the world had fallen away and all she could feel was Zack's arms around her, Zack's lips touching hers, her jawline, all she could smell was Zack's faint cologne. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought it would give out. Her eyes slid shut, basking in the moment.

It seemed all too short. She sighed, a faint smile on her face. Her eyes slowly opened, like she was waking from a dream, a really great dream. Zack's face loomed above her, the only thing she could see in the whole church. Even her flowers stood unnoticed. He wasn't bashful like he had been before, instead he looked as contented as she felt, satisfied to just sit quietly with his girlfriend (She was his _girlfriend_. It sounded really nice to say it to herself.) and memorise this moment for eternity. Or rather --

_91 more days._

The thought came out of nowhere, arresting her blissful thoughts and weighing them down as she remembered, her heart sinking like lead, what would happen. How he would leave her alone, in a lonely church, in her lonely life of before. Her frown was immediately noticed by Zack's alert eyes.

"Hey, hey. I hope my kissing wasn't that bad!"

She put on a brave smile.

"No, silly, it was great. No," she paused, thinking of the exact word to show how much that kiss meant to her. Amidst her worrying for his future, _her_ future, how those few minutes, which passed so quickly, had changed her, _strengthened_ her. She put her hand on his cheek and traced his smile up. It didn't matter that he would leave her soon, in the next minute for work, or the next 91 days for eternity. What mattered was..._now._

"Zack, it was _perfect_."

* * *

**A/N: Hey readers! MR here, speaking on behalf of both Hope and myself. We just wanted to update you on how the story will progress from here on. We're going to go in multiples of ten, meaning the next chapter will still be the Tenth Day, but the following one will be the Twentieth and so on. We thank you all for your concern for our mental and physical health should we have continued our reckless pursuit of a hundred days and your responses to our question in the last chapter. **

**On a different tack, we also want to encourage all of you to head down to the Genesis Awards and nominate your favourite works! Make sure they get recognized!**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Love and Cookies,**

**MR and Hope  
**


End file.
